Proper Recovery Follow Up
Despite advances in plastic surgery and anesthesia techniques and the use of minimally invasive procedure, preparing for recovery after plastic surgery still helps improve the overall results.
Very few plastic surgeons implement integrative medicine treatments to promote healing for their patients. Some plastic surgery practices like RevivaMed with branches in La Jolla, Gaslamp, and Murrieta, also adopt integrative and holistic approaches for faster recuperation.
Side Effects Of Surgery And Anesthesia
Both the anesthesia and surgery may casue side effects in the postoperative period. The anesthetic effects mostly depend on the type of anesthesia used. Most of these may occur after general anesthesia, but can also occur with other types of anesthesia.
Side effects of surgery depend on the type of procedure.The side affects may include:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Dizziness and nausea
- Vomiting
- Feeling flushed or shivers
Don’t worry, these are normal but monitor for any abnormal patterns like prolonged headaches, for instance, and contact your doctor immediately. Narcotic pain medications may be used as prescribed to control your pain. You may use plain Tylenol instead of narcotic pain medications for milder pain. You should avoid pain medications such as Aleve, Motrim or Aspirin for 7 days after surgery as these are blood thinners.
Generally you should rest after surgery but this does not mean you should stay in bed. Normal activity and walking will speed recovery and prevent blood clots. You should increase activity slowly depending on your procedure and as advised by your physician.
Refrain from doing any heavy lifting or strenuous physical activity during this crucial time. Your body has just undergone a very extensive procedure. There’s no use in aggravating the portion of your body that’s healing.
The best thing to do is to follow the surgeon’s advice and listen to your body.
Integrative Medicine For Faster Recovery
Here’s a quick list of food types you should consider:
- Protein-rich ingredients: The protein will help heal the tissues quicker. The average daily intake of protein is about 0.80 grams, you may want to double the intake while you are recovering.
- Fiber-rich ingredients: This will help your internal organs process the food faster. Any procedure can cause unusual ativities within the body and this can affect your digestive system to some slight degree.
- Vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables: Vitamin A and Vitamin C will help knit your damaged tissues together. Vitamin K will help in the clotting of the blood and prevent the wounds from being infected.
- Zinc-rich foods: Nuts, mushrooms, beef, lamb, chicken, spinach, and chocolates will help in the recovery process. Zinc boosts our body’s immune system so add this to your diet.
Drink plenty of fluids in order to replenish what you may have lost. Water is a very important vessel to carry nutrients toward the damaged tissues, as well as to help prevent infections.
Your plastic surgeon should give you a list of do’s and don’ts to serve as a guide for faster healing and recovery. Contact your plastic surgeon for more information and an appointment.
