Your Plastic Surgery Recovery Starts Before Your Surgery Day

When you're preparing for plastic surgery, it's easy to focus on the procedure itself: What will surgery day be like? How will I feel afterward? How long until I'm back to my normal routine?

But some of the best things you can do for your recovery happens before you ever arrive for surgery.

At Mays Plastic Surgery, we provide every surgical patient with detailed pre- and post-operative instructions specific to their procedure. While every recovery is different, there are several things you can do ahead of time to set yourself up for a safet, smoother, and more comfortable experience.

Start by Planning for Life After Surgery

Before surgery, think realistically about what your everyday life requires.

Who needs you on a typical day? Do you have children? Pets? Work responsibilities? Meals to prepare? A home to manage?

For at least a few days, your priority needs to shift from taking care of everyone else to allowing someone to take care of you.

Plan ahead for time away from work and arrange childcare, pet care, transportation, and help around the house as needed. Depending on your procedure, we generally reocmmend having 2-7 days of full-time support after surgery.

And remember: every MPS surgical patient must have a responsible adult drive them home and stay with them for at least hte first night after surgery. You cannot drive yourself home or recovery alone immediately following your procedure.

Choosing the Right Caregiver Matters

Your post-operative caregiver has an important job - and choosing the right person can make a significant difference in those first few days..

This should be a responsible adult who is calm, attentive, and comfortable helping you with basic needs.

Your caregiver may help you:

• Get home safely after surgery
• Move around safely
• Prepare meals and keep you hydrated
• Keep track of prescribed medications
• Avoid unnecessary lifting, bending, or reaching
• Follow your post-operative instructions
• Communicate with our office if questions or concerns arise

Before surgery day, share your post-op instructions with your caregiver. Don't wait until you're home, tired, and recovering to explain everything.

Make sure they know where your medications and supplies are, what you're allowed to do, what you should avoid, and how to contact our team if needed.

The goal is simple: when you get home, your only job should be to recover.

Create Your Recovery Space Before You Leave Home

Imagine coming home after surgery and realizing your phone charger is upstairs, your medication is in the bathroom cabinet, the water bottles are on the bottom shelf, and the pillows you need are buried in the linen closet.

Those little inconveniences suddenly become much bigger when your mobility is temporarily limited.

Before surgery, create a dedicated recovery area with everything you'll regularly need within easy reach.

Consider having:

• Plenty of pillows for comfortable positioning and elevation
• Water and other caffeine-free beverages
• Prescribed medications and approved recovery supplies
• Phone and device chargers
• Comfortable, easy-to-change clothing
• Books, TV, streaming services, or other entertainment
• Frequently used personal items

Move everyday necessities to counter level rather than storing them in high or low cabinets. Depending on your procedure, reaching, bending, and lifting may be restricted during recovery.

Some patients also find that a comfortable recliner works better than a traditional bed during the first few days.

And here's one preparation step your post-op self will appreciate: clean your house beforehand - or have someone clean it ofr you.

Fresh sheets, a clean recovery space, prepared meals, and an organized home can make returning from surgery feel much less stressful.

Stock Your Kitchen for Recovery

What you eat before and after surgery matters, too.

In the weeks leading up to surgery, focus on staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients to support your body's healing process.

Before surgery day, stock your refrigerator and pantry with nutritious foods that require very little preparation.

Think:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Balanced, nutrient-rich meals
• Easy-to-rehead foods
• Plenty of water
• Caffeine-free beverages

We recommend avoiding foods and beverages high in sodium, which can contribute to fluid retention.

Meal prepping ahead of time - or having someone prepare meals for you - means you won't have to worry about cooking when your body needs rest.

If indicated for your procedure, our team may also recommend nutritional supplements before surgery to support healing.

Prepare Your Body, Too

Your home isn't the only thing that needs preparation.

In the weeks leading up to surgery, following your surgeon's instructions is essential. Your specific requirements will be reviewed with you, but preparation may include:

• Picking up all prescribed pre- and post-operative medications as soon as they're ready
• Avoiding aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements that may increase bleeding
• Stopping weight-loss medications as directed and not resuming them until your surgeon clears you
• Stopping smoking and all nicotine products at least four weeks before surgery
• Minimizing alcohol consumption
• Staying well hydrated
• Eating a nutrient-rich diet

Always follow the specific instructions provided by your surgical team rather than making medication changes on your own.

It's also important to notify our office immediately if anything changes with your health or medications before surgery - including a fever, cough, cold, infection, or redness or injury to the skin.

We would always rather you call and ask.

What If You Live Outside Louisville?

If you're traveling to Mays Plastic Surgery for your procedure, recovery logistics require a little extra planning.

Patients who live more than one hour away are required to stay in a nearby hotel after surgery rather than immediately making a long drive home.

This helps minimize the stress and discomfort of extended travel immediately following your procedure and keeps you closer to our team during the earliest stage of recovery.

Our pre-operative materials include recommendations and additional information for out-of-town patients to help make planning easier.

Don't Forget to Prepare Mentally

There is another part of recovery that doesn't fit neatly into a checklist: giving yourself permission to recover.

You're probably used to being productive, taking care of other people, answering emails, cleaning the house, working out, running errands, or staying constantly on the go.

Recovery requires something different.

It requires rest.

Swelling, bruising, limited mobility, fatigue, and even temporary emotional ups and downs can all be part of the healing process. Your results will not appear overnight, and how you feel during the first few days isn't how you'll feel forever.

Preparing yourself for that reality - and arranging your life so you truly can slow down - can make the recovery process feel much less overwhelming.

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

You can't control every aspect of surgical recovery, but you can make your return home easier.

Prepare the meals. Wash the sheets. Put the charger next to the recliner. Arrange help with the kids and pets. Pick up your medications. Fill your favorite water bottle. Choose a caregiver your trust.

Those may seem like small details now, but after surgery, you'll be glad they're already taken care of.

Most importantly, remember that you aren't expected to navigate recovery alone. Your Mays Plastic Surgery team will provide detailed instructions specific to your procedure and will be available to answer questions throughout the process.

Considering plastic surgery but haven't taken the first step yet? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mays or Dr. Gross to discuss your goals, learn what your procedure and recovery look like, and get the information you ened to feel prepared for what's ahead.