5 Things to Know Before Surgery

5 Things to Know Before Surgery

Surgery can be overwhelming and scary. It is normal to have concerns about how the procedure will go, what kind of pain you will experience, or if you will have any post-op complications. You are not alone in thinking about these things before surgery. Here are 5 things to know before surgery that can help ease your anxieties before and after surgery as they will increase your likelihood of having a safer, healthier recovery. 

1. No Smoking    

One thing you can do to help prep for surgery is to not smoke. Smoking increases your risk of problems during surgery and after surgery, and even quitting smoking the day before surgery can lower your risk of complications. While there are some positives to quitting just a day before, these positives are increased the sooner you quit. Try to quit a week or more before surgery. According to the American College of Surgeons, quitting smoking 4-6 weeks before your operation and staying committed to a smoke-free lifestyle for 4 weeks after surgery can decrease your rate of wound complications by 50%.  

2. No Alcohol Intake    

Before major surgery, you should also have no alcohol intake. This is not a preferred suggestion but rather a serious safety issue to be taken into account. Avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours before your scheduled surgery. Alcohol consumption can cause serious complications during and after surgery. People with alcohol use disorders or people who consume alcohol too close to surgery may experience problems with anesthesia. General anesthesia and alcohol impact the same body systems like breathing, heart rate, and blood circulation. The liver may not be able to keep up with the impact on these systems from alcohol and anesthesia combined. Alcohol consumption can also increase bleeding because alcohol is a blood thinner. After surgery, alcohol intake before surgery can interfere with your medication, increase the chance of post-op bleeding, increase your recovery time, and cause cardiopulmonary complications. 

3. Avoid Caffeine     

It is recommended to stop drinking caffeine two days before surgery. On the day of surgery and the first day after surgery, you should avoid caffeine because it increases blood pressure and bruising. By stopping a few days before surgery, you may be able to prevent a headache from caffeine withdrawal on the day of and the day after surgery. If there are extremely high levels of caffeine in the body, it may cause complications during surgery as caffeine can raise heart rate and blood pressure. 

4. Stop Blood Thinners and Fish Supplements  

Another thing you can do to prepare for surgery is to stop taking any blood thinners or fish supplements you may regularly take. Blood thinners and fish oils can increase your risk of bleeding during or after a major surgery. Because of this, you should stop consumption of blood thinners or fish oils 2-3 days before surgery. Ask your surgeon what they recommend given the specific blood thinners or supplements you may take, the procedure you are having done, and your health history.   

5. Have a Recovery Plan   

A huge way you can prepare for surgery before even having surgery is by establishing a recovery plan. Who is going to take you to surgery? Who is going to pick you up after surgery? Who is going to take care of you? Where do you plan to recover? Do you want friends and family involved, or would you like to recover in private? Who will you call if you have concerns about how your recovery is going? How soon should you call? These are all questions you should think through before surgery day. By having a recovery plan in place, you will be able to rest and recover easier knowing you already have a plan for how things will go and how you will heal after surgery. 

Surgery can be daunting for many reasons. By not smoking, not taking in alcohol, avoiding caffeine, stopping blood thinners and fish supplements, and having a recovery plan, you are setting yourself up to be more likely to have a safer, quicker surgery and recovery.  Are you still trying to figure out the details of your recovery plan? VIP Concierge Care nurses are highly trained post-operative nurses skilled and experienced in taking care of plastic surgery patients post-operatively in their homes, hotels, or Airbnbs. We can walk through a recovery plan with you so you don’t have to worry about any of the logistics after surgery– all you have to do is rest and heal. Book an appointment or a free consultation with VIP Concierge Care today!