Your Pre-Plastic Surgery Checklist

August 09, 2019

You’ve had your consult and your surgery is booked. Now what? In all likelihood you are super excited and probably a little bit nervous. That’s totally normal. A good little planning sesh is great therapy for the pre-surgery jitters and will make sure you are well prepared for your recovery period. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to do to get ready for that exciting day.

1. Get a caregiver lined up.

You’ll need someone to pick you up from the clinic after your surgery and stay with you that whole day and night. They should also be able to take you to your post-operative appointment the day after your surgery, but if need be, you can take a taxi on your own. We have a great blog just for caregivers as we know this can be a big responsibility for them.

Your caregiver needs to be dedicated entirely to you for the 24 hour period after your surgery. They can’t be simultaneously working or looking after children. Most of our patients have a super easy recovery that doesn’t require a lot of involvement on the part of their caregiver, but we want to make sure that if you do need a little extra care, there’s someone there to help you 100%.

2. Schedule a week off work.

You MUST be super chill for one week. Take it as your opportunity to get caught up on all those Netflix and HBO shows you’re behind on. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to read War and Peace. Now’s the time. No cleaning, no intensive cooking, no stress (oh, so maybe reading Russian literature is out). Even if you feel great, you’ve got to lay low and let your body recover. Your result will be better if you do.

3. Suspend your gym membership for one month.

No high intensity workouts or heavy lifting until four weeks post-operation. You can resume light walking and biking a week or two after surgery.

4. Arrange for childcare.

Looking after your kids IS WORK. So you’ll need help for that first week. If you have small children, you may not be able to lift them for a few weeks after your operation.

5. Set out your prescriptions.

You’ll be prescribed a few different medications to have on hand after surgery. Some are mandatory to take (like the anti-biotics) and others are to be taken on an as needed basis (pain killers). We fill the prescriptions for you and have them ready for pick up at the clinic – that’s one less stop for you before surgery. You can set them out somewhere convenient in advance of the big day. 

6. Arrange your bed.

This is a super important one that is often overlooked. When you get home from your surgery you are going to feel really tired due to the anaesthetic. You will likely go straight to bed. Depending on what kind of surgery you had, you may be given specific instructions on how to sleep (propped up for anything above the waist, or only on your stomach for BBL). Your patient coordinator will explain this to you. It’s a good idea to get your bed ready before hand so you can get right into it when you get home.

7. Prep some meals.

The last thing you want to be worried about is cooking dinner in the early days after your surgery. By prepping some healthy meals ahead of time you’ll ensure you stay well nourished with minimal fuss.

8. Review instructions from your surgeon’s office.

It’s likely you received some documents to review prior to your surgery. Make sure you’ve gone through them carefully.

9. Get zen.

You may be feeling a lot of things in the days leading up to your surgery: excitement, anxiety, a bit of fear. We get it—it’s a big deal! Those feelings are totally normal. Take some time every day to relax and chill out. Read a book, meditate (check out apps like Headspace if you need a little help), go for a walk. You’re going to be GREAT and you’re going to love your result. Plus, we’ll take extra good care of you. You’ll be out and about enjoying your new look in no time.