subject: Addressing The Important Issues Involving Cosmetic Surgery [print this page] If you are contemplating cosmetic surgery it helps to know some general information in order that you can prepare yourself as completely as possible for the type of procedure that you wish to undergo. The options in cosmetic surgery to have work done on the body and face are many. The considerations inherent in these surgical procedures are similar in nature and are all things that you must address before you decide that you want to be operated upon by a plastic surgeon.
Eligible Candidates- Who Are They?
The most suitable candidates for any form of cosmetic surgery are healthy individuals, both physically and psychologically, and those who are in a positive state of mind concerning the procedure. Most cosmetic medical surgeries are considered major surgery as there is nothing minor about them and they all come with associated risks.
Dealing with and understanding the risks are significant for anyone to be considered for a cosmetic procedure. To be eligible as a candidate you need to realize that certain health problems that you may have can place you in a higher risk category for complications. You must discuss these issues with your family doctor as well as the plastic doctor who will be performing the procedure. You also must be honest with yourself and decide if having the surgery is worth putting your health at an even greater risk. Any chronic or major disease such as heart problems, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, emphysema, asthma, arthritis or morbid obesity can increase the potential for complications during and after the surgery.
Preparing for Surgery
If you are an appropriate candidate for a cosmetic surgery procedure such as rhinoplasty (nose job), liposuction, breast augmentation or a tummy tuck then there are certain things you must do to prepare for the operation. You must be willing to undergo tests that are similar to the types of tests that other patients must have before medical procedures are performed on them. Lab tests such as blood tests and urine tests must be run to look for any health conditions or any problems that could adversely affect the outcome of the cosmetic surgery operation.
If you wish to have breast implant surgery then you will need to have a standard chest x-ray for the sake of your health as well as one or maybe more mammograms. The potential for breast cancer must be ruled out before you can be cleared to have augmentation.
All plastic surgery patients-to-be must have complete physicals conducted in their doctors' offices to look for any medical problems that might not show up on any of the tests. If there is anything that could put you at risk medically by having plastic surgery then it needs to be found and coped with before you end up unconscious on the plastic surgeon's table. The physician must be confident that you would be a viable patient and that you are healthy enough to be able to come through the surgery all right and will heal properly and in a timely fashion.
Once you have been given permission to have cosmetic surgery you must not eat or drink anything for a period of at least 12 hours prior to the scheduled time for the procedure. Most procedures of a cosmetic nature are performed under general anesthesia.
