Is Plastic Surgery Safe?

The primary goal of plastic surgery is to make a person look better, and this boosts their self-confidence and self-esteem. Typically, plastic surgery is done on any part of the body, that is, from the face to the legs.

Undergoing any form of surgery makes patients feel a bit nervous about their safety. While plastic surgery has an extremely high safety record, there no surgical procedure without its risks. This applies to both the surgery, as well as the recovery time. Therefore, always make sure that you review the qualification of your surgeon before scheduling plastic surgery.

Reasons for plastic surgery

Since plastic surgery has both dramatic and permanent changes to your appearance, it’s essential to make sure that you understand how these changes can affect you from the inside. Always make sure that you consider the reasons why you want to change your appearance before seeking an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon

Yes, cosmetic surgery can indeed change most physical characteristics of a person. However, there are some that it cannot change. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you are an ideal candidate for plastic surgery.

A good candidate should:

  1. Not have any pre-existing chronic conditions.
  2. Have realistic goals about what they want to be accomplished.
  3. Understand the risks, physical effects, and how the surgery can affect them both professionally and personally. Moreover, they must understand the lifestyle changes that come with plastic surgery, as well as the associated costs.
  4. Discuss their expectations for the surgery with their doctor, and make sure that all their queries are answered.
  5. Have no recent history of smoking. Moreover, they must abstain from smoking (both primary and passive smoking), and nicotine related products, like nicotine gums, lozenges, and patches for at least 8 weeks prior to- and after the surgery.
  6. Maintain stable weight for at least 6 months before the surgery.

Pre-surgery examination and consultation

For maximum safety and the best results after your surgery, it’s essential to make sure that you disclose your medical history to your plastic surgeon before the surgery. Don’t forget to include any prescription and non-prescription medicine you are taking, both current and previous health conditions, and whether you’ve had any previous surgery.

Your plastic surgeon must also conduct a physical examination to ensure that you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions that would prevent successful results. The cosmetic surgeons from La Belle Vie say that certain conditions put patients at a higher risk of a blood clot after undergoing plastic surgery.

Some of these medical conditions include:

  • Overweight or clinically obese patients
  • Patients who’ve recently had a traumatic injury
  • People with heart, lungs, or central nervous system disorders
  • Patients with a history of cancer
  • Patients who smoke tobacco
  • Anyone who’s using or has used contraceptives
  • Hormone replacement therapy patients

You should note that patients are not disqualified from plastic surgery in case they have any of the above health conditions. However, they are advised to weigh between the risks and benefits of undergoing plastic surgery. However, this is done with the close guidance of their plastic surgeon.

Risk analysis of plastic surgery

In 2010, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) conducted a study on the results of over 400,000 surgery procedures completed in an accredited clinic. The results showed that less than 1% of the patients had serious complications during the surgery or when recovering from the surgery.

What are the risks of plastic surgery?

As indicated earlier, every surgery has its risks, and this includes cosmetic surgery. Patients with a history of lung disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, or diabetes have a higher risk of complications like stroke, blood clots, pneumonia, or heart attack. You should also note that smoking puts a patient at a higher risk and impedes the healing process too.

Some of the possible complications after plastic surgery include:

  • Anesthesia-related complications like blood clots, pneumonia, heart attack, and hardly death
  • Fluid buildup under the patient’s skin
  • Infection on the incision area—this can make the scarring worse, thus demanding for extra surgery
  • Slight bleeding
  • Tingling and numbness as a result of nerve damage—and this can be permanent.

With plastic surgery, it’s possible and easy to reduce the risks. The best way to reduce the risks of plastic surgery is to choose a qualified and certified plastic surgeon, with the skills needed to perform the procedure safely.

Moreover, lifestyle changes before the surgery are essential for quick recovery. Therefore, make sure that you eat a healthy and balanced diet before and after the surgery. This speeds up the healing process and minimizes the possibility of scarring.