subject: Face Lift - The First Few Days Of Recovery [print this page] Understanding what to expect after a surgery is important no matter what procedure you are having done. When it comes to having a face lift, knowing what to expect on the first few days of your recovery will help you properly prepare for your care. While everyone responds to surgery differently, here are some ideas of what you may experience.
Immediately Afterwards
Immediately after your procedure, you will stay in the hospital or clinic for a few hours. The staff will monitor you for signs of complications and to ensure you are coming out of the anesthetic properly. Once they are sure you are doing fine, they will discharge you. This procedure rarely requires an overnight hospital stay if there are no complications. You will not be able to drive, so prepare to have someone with you who can drive you home.
At Home
You should expect to experience some discomfort after your procedure. However, with proper pain medication, which your doctor will prescribe, this should not be too traumatic. Arrange for someone to pick up your pain medication from the pharmacy, or ask your doctor if you can pick it up prior to your procedure. This will help you to have one less thing to do after your face lift. You are going to want to go home and rest.
Always read the warnings on the pain medication, and call your doctor if you experience any of the potential side effects or adverse reactions. You can be given different medication if you are not tolerating the first one your doctor prescribed.
You will need to keep your head elevated after this procedure. Use pillows or even a recliner to help with this. The better you are at keeping your head elevated, the less swelling you will experience. Have a recliner or couch set up to rest on, because you are going to want to spend a few days with minimal movement after this surgery.
Do not be surprised if you notice some numbness after a face lift. This is normal, but it should not be permanent. After several months, you should not notice any more numbness.
Signs of Complications
Your surgeon should explain the signs to watch for after your face lift. If you experience any of these complications, call your doctor or go to the hospital.
If you notice new, sudden swelling, you will want to get checked out. Some swelling is normal, but sudden, severe swelling is not. Similarly, a fever of 100 degrees or more could indicate an infection is setting in and should be checked out.
If you pop any of your stitches, call your doctor. Severe or persistent pain that is not helped by your medication and does not get better with time is not normal. Again, call your doctor. Finally, any pus-like discharge from your incision site should warrant a call to your surgeon. By keeping a watch out for these signs of infection and complications, you should be able to experience a full recovery from your face lift, without any serious consequences.
