Before your breast augmentation surgery with Dr. Vitenas, we recommend going over our patient checklist. You want to be prepared ahead of time, this way you won’t run into any issues during or after your operation.
What Should You Do Before Your Breast Augmentation?
1. Plan Ahead And Take Time Off
Before you do anything else, you need to look at your schedule and plan for your surgery. Breast augmentation is an invasive operation that requires healing and time off from your job.
So, you want to prepare ahead of time. That way, you won’t have to scramble to find time to recover.
Remember, you won’t be able to go back to your daily life right away. Keeping this in mind, patients should schedule time off for work and other responsibilities.
You should also talk with the people in your home and let them know that you won’t be able to do strenuous activities for at least a week. This includes childcare, housework, shopping, and even driving.
To make a plan, consider what time of year is most convenient for you. Then, schedule your time off and start the next step of the checklist.
Why It’s Important: Breast augmentation is a significant procedure requiring ample recovery time. Planning ahead for time off work ensures you have a stress-free recovery period without the pressure of immediate responsibilities. This rest is crucial for your body’s healing process.
2. Plan For Childcare
Again, major surgery, like breast augmentation surgery, requires rest and healing. Especially if you have children, you are going to need to make a solid plan.
Talk about this with your partner and figure out things like school pick-ups and drop-offs. If your partner can’t take time off work, then secure a babysitter or childcare service ahead of time.
It’s crucial to have these conversations early on to prevent stress and anxiety from building up near your operation date.
The Rationale: Post-surgery, your mobility will be limited, making it challenging to perform regular childcare tasks. Arranging for childcare in advance ensures your children’s needs are met while you focus on recovery, reducing the risk of strain or injury from lifting or strenuous activities.
3. Schedule A Pre-Op Appointment
Pre-op appointments are an important part of the surgical process. Using the information in the last portion of this post, you can schedule one with our staff over the phone or through our website.
Pre-op appointments will help fully prepare you for surgery. Our nurses will go over everything you need to know about your breast augmentation and will make sure you are ready for surgery.
Benefits Explained: This appointment is your opportunity to understand the surgery specifics, discuss any concerns, and receive personalized advice from your surgeon. It’s a vital step for mental preparedness and clarifying any last-minute doubts.
4. Ask All Your Questions At Your Pre-Op Appointment
If you have any questions about your breast augmentation procedure, ask them during the pre-op appointment. Our medical team is highly knowledgeable and ready to provide patients with any information that is relevant to their surgery.
For instance, if you want to know the recovery time of breast augmentation, what activities you can do after surgery, or what the surgery will be like, this is a great time to ask these questions and learn more about breast augmentation, as well as, everything you need to do before surgery.
Why This Matters: Creating a comfortable recovery space at home with essentials within easy reach minimizes physical strain post-surgery. This preparation can significantly impact your comfort and ease during the recovery phase.
5. Get Your Prescriptions Filled
Another thing you should do is get any prescriptions filled before your surgery. You don’t want to have to go out and do this after surgery. You won’t be able to drive or move around much.
As you can probably guess, it is best to stay in bed and have the medication prepared in your home before the procedure even starts.
Medical Insight: Some medications and supplements can increase bleeding risks or interact with anesthesia. Discussing your current medication regimen with your surgeon and pausing certain medications ensures a safer surgical procedure.
6. Consider Getting A Multivitamin and Tylenol
We also suggest getting some multivitamins before your operation. Multivitamins are a great way to stay healthy and energized as you recover.
Tylenol should also be bought before you have your breast augmentation. This way, you can deal with any discomfort or pain right away.
7. Take Your Covid Test
Covid has impacted us all and changed the way we go about our daily lives. To keep yourself and our other patients safe, you will need to take a Covid test before your operation.
Not only will this ensure that no one gets the virus, but taking a test will help make your operation safer and reduce the risk of surgical complications.
Talk with our staff before your surgery. If you have any questions about our COVID procedures and when you need to get your test, call our team before your breast augmentation.
8. Prepare For a No-Salt Diet
You want to stay as healthy as possible before your surgery. This includes staying active, resting, and eating well.
Really, the healthier you are before your operation, the better the results of your surgery will be. It’s best to stick to a no-salt diet and try to avoid highly processed foods and beverages so the operation goes as smoothly as possible.
Plan your meals and buy food with low amounts of sodium and processed chemicals. This will make it easier to stick with your new diet.
Also, consider planning your meals for your post-surgery recovery. Eating healthy low sodium foods can help bring down swelling and improve your body’s natural healing process.
9. Make Sure You Have A Caretaker To Stay With You And Drive You Home
After your surgery, you will need someone to drive you home and help you with your recovery. So, before your breast augmentation is performed, talk with your family and friends and see whether anyone is willing to help you.
You need someone reliable that will help you through the entire process of recovery. And, since you won’t be able to be on your feet right after surgery, this person should help you with chores, shopping, and other activities while you rest.
Most importantly, make sure your caretaker can drive you. Post-surgery, you cannot drive and will need someone to take you home.
10. No Make-Up Lotion Or Deodorant Before Surgery
Preparing for your breast augmentation requires many different steps. This also includes keeping your body clean and free of contaminants.
Lotions, makeup, and deodorant should be removed before surgery. In particular, since you will be put under general anesthesia, your face needs to be clear of makeup and lotion.
Your body needs to stay clean. This means no deodorant or body moisturizers. Your skin should be fresh and ready for your breast augmentation.
11. Use Your Hibiclens Wash The Night Before Surgery.
Finally, make sure to use Hibiclens the night before your surgery. This is a type of antibacterial soap that will prepare your skin. It will cleanse the body and help prevent infections before you go in for your procedure.
How Else Can You Prepare For Your Breast Augmentation?
Create A Recovery Space In Your Home
Recovery is a crucial part of your breast augmentation. You want your body to heal and recover properly after your procedure so that you won’t have any complications. But how exactly can you ensure that your recovery is a success?
One way to make your recovery more effective is by preparing your home ahead of time. If you have everything you need in a designated recovery space, you won’t have to spend time running around your home and moving more than you need to.
We suggest putting essential recovery items in your recovery space. This can include things like tissues, water, painkillers, vitamins, snacks, your phone charger, and other comfort items.
Buy Extra Pillows
Extra pillows will also help you recover more smoothly. You want to make sure that you have plenty of pillows, this way you can keep your body upright and angled.
If you don’t want to stack a ton of pillows, you can also use a wedge pillow to keep yourself at a 45-degree angle. Pillows might not seem important, but this is a crucial part of your healing process.
By having plenty of pillows, you can keep your body from rolling around and moving. This will prevent injuries and excess movement.
Use Ice Packs
Your body will swell after the surgery, which is completely normal. However, if you want to reduce swelling and pain, purchase plenty of ice packs for your recovery.
An ice pack will reduce the swelling and can be used right after the surgery. We recommend keeping the pack on for twenty minutes and then taking it off for another twenty minutes.
Plan Your Outfits
This is purely optional, but planning your outfits ahead of time can help you avoid major stress during recovery. You should put together outfits that are comfortable and loose.
Any clothes you choose should also be easy to take on and off. Jackets and shirts with zippers and buttons are ideal as you won’t have to lift and move around a lot to take off more form-fitting clothes.
Enhancing Your Surgery Success with Informed Preparations
- Optimizing Physical Health: It’s crucial to be in the best possible physical shape before undergoing breast augmentation. This isn’t just about comfort; it’s about safety and recovery. Patients with a healthy BMI typically experience fewer complications with anesthesia and a smoother healing process. Discuss your physical health with your surgeon, and consider a pre-surgery fitness and nutrition plan to optimize your body for surgery.
- The Risks of Smoking on Surgical Outcomes: Smoking can significantly impact your surgery and recovery. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, reducing blood flow, which is vital for healing. Moreover, smoking impairs the immune system, increasing the risk of post-surgical infections and complications. Ceasing smoking at least three weeks before surgery can significantly improve your recovery process and surgical outcomes.
- Medication Management: Certain medications and supplements can interfere with surgery. For instance, blood thinners like aspirin can increase bleeding risks, while herbal supplements might interact unpredictably with anesthesia. A detailed consultation with your surgeon about your current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements, is essential to adjust your regimen safely before surgery.
- Mental Health Considerations: The psychological impact of surgery is as significant as the physical aspects. It is crucial to feel confident and mentally prepared for the changes and recovery process. If you have concerns or anxiety, consider discussing them with a mental health professional. This preparation can help ensure you’re mentally and emotionally ready for both the surgery and the recovery journey.
Contact Dr. Vitenas Today
If you are interested in breast augmentation, contact Dr. Vitenas’s office today. Our staff can answer any of your questions and help you schedule a consultation for any procedure you plan on getting.
We can be reached at this number: 281-484-0088. You can also contact us through our website and schedule an appointment with our online contact form here.
