As a general rule, patients should try to schedule an initial consultation with the surgeon at least a few weeks before they would like to have an operation carried out. During that meeting, your plastic surgeon can go over all of your cosmetic goals and help you come up with a personalized treatment plan. You will need to discuss your medical history as well so that they can make sure you are healthy enough for a cosmetic procedure. If you and your surgeon agree that you are a good candidate, then you are going to be given comprehensive pre-op and post-op instructions. Following those instructions as closely as possible will greatly reduce your risk of unnecessary post-op complications.

 

 

While some cosmetic procedures might be covered by a basic health insurance policy, those operations are usually considered to be elective. That means you will need to explore some different options for taking care of the costs. Financing is a good way to pay for elective surgeries that aren’t covered by one’s health insurance policy, and those plans often have excellent rates. If you have some cash available, then you might want to pay for part of the procedure out of pocket while financing the rest. During your first appointment with the surgeon, they are going to explain that financing is a good way to achieve your cosmetic goals without breaking the bank, and they might even have a preferred lender that they like working with.

 

 

Another key step in this process is improving your overall health. Cosmetic procedures are safer than ever, but it is important to remember that they are still serious operations. That is one of the reasons why you must make sure that you remain as healthy as possible in the weeks leading up to your appointment. In addition to staying at a healthy weight and following a clean diet, you should also avoid all tobacco products. Your plastic surgeon can give you further instructions regarding your overall health and wellness when you first meet with them.

 

 

Setting up a comfortable recovery area is the final thing that you will need to do before your operation. Every procedure is slightly different, but most patients will spend at least a few days in bed following plastic surgery. Your recovery area needs to have easy access to a restroom, a comfortable place to sleep, and some form of entertainment. It is also suggested that you have a loved one ready to take you home and look after you for two or three days. In most cases, patients can begin to move around on their own after a few days, but that is highly dependent on which type of procedure is being carried out. For the vast majority of cosmetic operations, patients can resume all activities within five or six weeks.