6 Facelift surgery tips In Toronto, canada

Posted on February 16, 2016 in General

FACELIFT SURGERY TIPS – PREPARING FOR THE DAY OF SURGERY AND EARLY RECOVERY

Here are a few facelift tips that may make the day of surgery as well as early recovery a little easier.

Fill prescriptions in advance

You will likely require pain medication for a few days following facelift surgery. This prescription will be provided in advance. Our goal is for you to arrive comfortably at home as soon as possible after discharge following facelift surgery.  Although it is recommended to walk short distances inside your home to lower risk of developing other complications (e.g. DVT, PE), Dr. Power generally advises patients to rest at home for a few days before gradually advancing your activity level to resuming short walks. Filling your prescription in advance will simplify your discharge home.

Prepare meals and stock groceries in advance

Along the same lines, Dr. Power recommends for patients to prepare a few days of meals before the day of surgery or to arrange some help in the kitchen.  You will not be feeling up to cooking or preparing meals over the first few days following facelift surgery. It is also advised to have healthy foods at home that are easy to eat and do not require a lot of chewing during early healing. Foods like soup, meat cut into small portions, fruits and vegetables, and any other soothing food favorites should be picked up and prepared at home in advance. It is important to keep up your caloric intake following facelift surgery. Your body needs these nutrients as your incisions heal!

Avoid anti-inflammatories

Please check with Dr. Power about any specific medications or supplements that you take. In general, Dr. Power recommends against vitamin E, herbal supplements, and anti-inflammatories (for example, Advil and Aleve) during the month leading up to facelift surgery.  If you require any over-the-counter medications for a headache or other discomfort before surgery, Tylenol (either regular or extra-strength) is recommended instead since it does not increase risk of bleeding.

Prepare cold compresses in advance

Cold compresses are beneficial over the first 48 hours or so after facelift surgery to reduce swelling and bruising. You may wish to prepare cold compresses in advance to use over the first few days after facelift surgery. Another option is to place a facecloth in a bowl of ice and water. You may then wring out the facecloth and place over your cheeks and eye region frequently over the first 48 hours post-operatively. A rough guideline for repeating the cold compresses is 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off while awake.

Prepare your recovery space in advance

It is recommended to sleep with your head and upper body propped up on several pillows for the first month after facelift surgery. This will reduce post-operative swelling as compared to lying flat over this time period. Please ensure that your resting space is comfortable and prepared before you are discharged home the morning after facelift surgery.

Record a list of questions to ask your surgeon

You may think of more questions after your consultation and other pre-operative visits.  Please keep a list of any questions that arise leading up to your surgery and bring it in to the office.  This will ensure that all of your questions are answered in advance.

We hope that these recovery tips may help you feel more prepared and comfortable leading up to facelift surgery and during the early days of recovery.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation to discuss facelift surgery in more detail, please contact us at any time.