What to expect?

Before you go in to have plastic surgery you should know what to expect so that you aren't surprised or unprepared for any part of your procedure or the repercussions that you might encounter afterwards.

After you have had a consultation with the plastic surgeon you have chosen to do your surgery and you have discussed with him or her the result that you are after you will probably be required to undergo a physical examination and have blood tests done to ensure that you are a good candidate for surgery. If your surgeon determines that you are fit to undergo surgery you will likely be required to set up a pre-operative appointment.

Your pre-operative appointment will probably take place about two weeks before your surgery. During this appointment you should make sure that you and your surgeon are on the same page in terms of the desired result of the surgery that you will have. During your pre-operative appointment you should also make sure that you know all the details of the procedure that you will undergo including the type of anesthetic that will be used, the types of incisions that will be made and how long you will need to be in the hospital for. You should expect to sign consent forms during this appointment and you should also expect that your surgeon will take pictures of the area that he or she will be working on.

After your surgery you can expect to be pretty groggy and out of it so make sure that you have a friend or family member to drive you home when you are released from the hospital.

Sedation affects everyone differently so you might wake up after surgery with a sore throat or feeling confused and nauseous.

After your surgery you should be prepared to allow your body some time to heal. Don't expect to get up the day after plastic surgery and be able to head back to work or to the gym. It will likely be at least a week before you feel completely back to normal. Make sure that during the time that you are recovering from surgery that you limit the physical activity that you do so that you don't run the risk of tearing your stitches or getting an infection. Keep in mind plastic surgery often results in scarring so don't be surprised if you can still see incision lines months after your operation.

If you are properly prepared and take good care of yourself you can expect that plastic surgery will change your self-esteem and the way you see yourself for the rest of your life.