The plastic surgery process is a collaborative experience between the surgeon and patient. Your surgical team is invested in helping you achieve the best, fullest results possible. That’s why you’re likely to hear many reminders about the importance of following your post-surgical instructions closely. What happens after surgery impacts your final results. Here’s a look at six key reasons to follow your surgeon’s recovery instructions following any type of plastic surgery.
1. Infection Risks
While the risk for infection following surgery is low, every patient needs to be vigilant because infections can spread quickly. Once you arrive back home, bacteria and viruses from people, pets, and surfaces inside your home can pose risks. Be sure to follow all of the post-surgery instructions provided to you for cleaning and bandaging incision areas.
2. Compromised Results
While you may feel like you’re ready to get up and do everything again, it’s still important to follow your surgeon’s recommendations for avoiding strenuous movement, exercise, sex, and anything else that’s on the restricted list for a few more weeks. When you don’t give your body time to heal, this could impact how your plastic surgery “settles.” As a result, your final results won’t be as amazing as they could be if you followed the instructions. While you may be feeling impatient about getting back to life fully, the reality is that the recovery period only requires a few weeks of time off from the things you enjoy in exchange for a lifetime of feeling confident with your new body.
3. Complications
What may feel like strict or unnecessary post-surgery restrictions are actually safeguards that are there to protect your long-term health and wellness. It’s so important to let your body heal following surgery. If you “rush it” by ignoring recovery instructions, you could be at risk for complications that include scarring, blood clots, nerve damage, and swelling.
4. Pain and Discomfort
During the tender post-surgery period, it’s not uncommon to go from feeling like a million bucks to feeling like you’ve really been through it in the span of just a few hours. Unfortunately, exerting yourself while not following your surgeon’s recovery instructions can catch up with you in the form of pain and swelling. In addition to causing discomfort, ignoring restrictions that are included in your recovery instructions can put you in a position to take more pain-management medication than is typically advised.
5. Emergency Visits
One of your plastic surgeon’s main goals is to ensure that you can recover comfortably at home without any additional medical interventions outside of your next in-office visit to check your recovery progress. Your recovery instructions play a big role in making sure this happens. If you end up with a complication due to not following the instructions, it’s very likely that you will be told to visit your local hospital’s emergency department to be checked by a doctor. If the situation is serious enough, you may need to stay at the hospital for further medical intervention.
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6. Revision Risks
When patients fail to follow recovery instructions, they increase their chances of needing a revision surgery down the road. Infections, poor healing, scarring, and fluid collection are just some of the issues that can put a patient in a position to need additional surgeries. The need for a revision can be greatly reduced by following all recovery instructions provided to you.
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