All you need to know for your Upcoming Surgery

Thank you for booking your elective aesthetic procedure with Rozina Ali. We are delighted to have you!

This page outlines useful pointers to prepare you for the surgical journey - Before your surgery, what to expect on the day of your surgery and the post-operative days. We also offer some advice on how to best care for your wounds in the initial period.

Preparation is key and being worry-free, comfortable and happy throughout the elective surgical process is what we want to help you achieve.

Important information to be aware of before booking surgery.

Smoking:

Ideally, You should stop smoking at least six weeks prior to surgery (or sooner if you can).

Any Nicotine vapes or cigarettes will need to be stopped since nicotine can significantly increase your risk of serious complications (infection, bleeding, poor wound healing) and slow your recovery. This includes exposure to second-hand smoke, since nicotine can reduce blood flow to all tissues.

Medications/Medical History:

You should review all your medications – both prescribed and over the counter as well as any supplements. Some decongestants, pain relievers, and prescribed medications are not suitable for use before surgery, while others are fine. Please make sure you tell us of all medication you are on now so we can advise.

If you’re on weight loss supplements, disclose those to your doctor, too. Some can cause serious complications with anaesthesia.

People with chronic pain who are on opioid regimens must speak to their surgeon, general practitioner and anaesthetist to make adequate adjustments for the surgery and recovery. For example, if you take Tramadol daily, you may need to alter the post-operative dose.

If you’re on antibiotics, let your surgeon know, especially if you have an active infection. Surgery may need to be postponed for any active infection- viral or bacterial.

Similarly, it is important to inform us of any auto-immune flare ups requiring increased immune- suppressant medication. The additional stress of surgery may interfere with the body’s immune response to the infection or worsen with general anaesthesia. Other medical problems, like an asthma exacerbation, can also worsen with general anaesthesia. Even the common cold is a potential no-no for general anaesthetic for an elective procedure since it results in a more reactive airway which can be problematic.

Do not take Aspirin or medication containing Aspirin for 8- 10 days prior to your surgery. Aspirin may be re-commenced 72 hours after your surgery.

Pregnancy, the oral contraceptive and breastfeeding:

Please contact us immediately if you think you may be pregnant. We would NOT normally undertake elective surgery at this time. You may continue to take the oral contraceptive pill but please be aware that you will need additional methods of contraception after your operation. If you are breastfeeding and are having general anaesthetic, then you will need to discard the milk for the first 24 hours following the anaesthetic so we would recommend expressing beforehand. If you have children, please ensure you arrange appropriate support with childcare.

Preparing for surgery

It is advisable that you make arrangements for your household chores to be done by somebody else as you will not be able to perform them for up to 6 weeks afterwards. This includes vacuuming, dusting, washing, ironing and grocery shopping (anything that involves heavy lifting, repetitive movements). Ensure you have arranged for the proper care and walking of any pets.

If you are employed please ensure that you have discussed taking the necessary time off work to allow you to recover. This will depend on the surgery you are having and your employment demands. The outcome of surgery and your satisfaction with the process and results is determined somewhat by the post-operative course.

Get prepared for your recovery at least one week before the surgical date, by picking up any supplies such as:

Any recommended preparation treatments such as –
Antiseptic soap (e.g. Hibiclens)
Over-the-counter pain relief
Stool softeners (pain medication causes constipation)

Comfortable nightwear and lounging gear for home.

If preferred, a slumber pillow or backrest support helps reduce swelling and pain by propping you upright more comfortably…..it also makes it easier to get out of bed. Eg. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bedding-Home-Bolster-Pillows-Non-Allergic

Breast Surgery: Your second compression garment and we recommend either –
Macom - https://www.macom-medical.com - (use code Rozina Ali at checkout) and LipoElastic - https://www.lipoelastic.co.uk (use code Rozina at checkout) for 10% discount

If you are having a labiaplasty, we recommend having some panty liners at home for after the surgery or bringing your preferred sanitary towels for use immediately after surgery.

Prior to surgery

We would recommend dyeing/washing your hair before surgery as you may not be able to for days or weeks following surgery. You should refrain from drinking alcohol the day before your surgery.

Do not take Aspirin or medication containing Aspirin prior to your surgery. Ensure you have confirmed with your doctor how to take any regular medication for the next few days following your surgery.

You should also refrain from taking certain vitamins and herbal supplements from 14 days prior to your surgery. Click HERE to see the full list.

Refrain from alcohol.

Confirm with your friend/family member collecting you from the hospital. On admission, the nurses can give you a good idea of what time you can be collected, although do explain that this will depend on how you recover and time frames may change. More information on this below.

What to wear/bring

Arrive in comfortable, loose clothing and without make-up, jewellery or hairspray.

Reading/watching material for any waiting beforehand and if you are feeling up to it following the surgery is also recommended. Music & headphones are very useful.

Please do not bring any valuables with you to the hospital or clinic

If a compression garment was included in your Procedure fee, this will be available at the hospital reception to be collected on arrival or sent to your home, our practice will confirm with you. If it was not included, ensure to bring your own.

If you are staying overnight, then bring nightwear or something comfortable to sleep in. Slippers and fluffy sock for comfort is also recommended.

An eye-mask and ear plugs will aid your sleeping.

Feel free to bring some sweet treats for after your surgery too!

After your surgery

Day Case:
You will be discharged approximately 4 hours following the end of your surgery and recovery phase. You will have been observed to be comfortable, pain-free and able to eat, drink, pass urine and mobilise freely. During this time a family member or friend is welcome to wait with you .

Overnight Case:
You will be in a private room. A family member or friend is welcome to visit the day of your surgery but cannot stay overnight without specific permission. You will be discharged the following morning, normally at or shortly after 10am.

You will need someone to accompany you home.

You should be comfortable in your compression garment and be able to manage the Thromboembolic deterrent Stockings (TEDS) fitted to prevent you getting blood clots in your legs (DVT).

First 24 hours: You must not work in any capacity nor use machinery. You must not drive. Please arrange for support looking after young or dependent children. You should not sign any legal documents. You should not drink alcohol, smoke or take sleeping tablets.

Debulking Bulky Dressings: Miss Ali will often put you in a bulky bandage if you’ve had liposuction (to thighs) or fat harvest. The following day you will be guided to remove or  ‘de-bulk’ the wet dressings and how to put on your surgical compression garment.

What to expect following surgery

Due to having been anxious or ‘nil by mouth’ prior to surgery it is important that you rehydrate yourself adequately and ensure you eat well post-procedure, both to raise your mood and your blood sugar levels. Eating well is essential to healing and repairing tissues.

In order to optimise the speed and quality of healing, Miss Ali recommends neutriceuticals, either TotallyDerma or SkinadeMD (a pre and post care package). Please contact the practice for more information and/or to place an order for 1-3 months recovery period.

Pain:
Following surgery you may experience some discomfort but should not be in too much pain. You will be supplied with prescription painkillers where necessary. Regular analgesics such as paracetamol may be recommended. We usually advise against taking any  NSAIDS (aspirin, Nurofen, ibuprofen, Voltarol) in the first 72hrs after surgery, since it can increase risk of bleeding. After this time you are fine to take if you require.

You may have a sore throat, a headache, or feel tired, shivery or mildly confused for a few hours. Some people feel nauseous but rarely suffer with vomiting post-operatively. These symptoms will quickly subside and can be managed with rest, fluids and analgesia.

Driving:
Depending on the surgery you are undergoing, your surgeon may advise against driving for up to 2 weeks post-operatively  or until you can safely manage a rapid emergency stop. This will be determined by the type of surgery. Your insurance company will need to be informed if driving is prohibited for longer, so please check your policy details.

Smoking:
You should refrain from smoking. Cigarette smoke is full of toxins detrimental to wound healing and firmly prohibited in elective aesthetic surgery. It is strongly recommended to desist from smoking after surgery, whilst your wound is still healing, nicotine causes decreased blood flow which inhibits your wound from healing, increases the likelihood of infection and can lead to poor scarring. It is firmly prohibited in the post-operative healing phase and no responsibility is taken for adverse healing or scarring if you are still a smoker.

The post op aspect of the outcome and experience is in your own hands.

Bathing/Showering:
The wound generally becomes watertight within 72 hours (3 days) so withhold from immersing dressings or wound in water until after this time. It is best if you do not get the dressings wet at all until your 5-7 day wound check appointment. If you feel you cannot wait that long to shower, please ensure you have spare dressings to replace the wet ones - these will either have been supplied by the hospital or you can purchase from a pharmacy. Following your shower, pat the area dry and then replace the outer dressings.

Exercise:
You are encouraged to take walks for gentle exercise as soon as you feel able, even on the day of surgery. Always be guided by discomfort and if you feel uncomfortable, pleas STOP.

You should be guided by your own comfort but are recommended to wait 6-8 weeks before returning to full activities and usually it takes another 2-4 weeks before you can be back at the gym or doing vigorous activities. So, for example start with half planks (on your knees) and wall push-ups rather than your full body weight.

Steam room/Jacuzzi/hot tub, we would recommend refraining until all wounds are fully healed and dry.

DVT and PE: The dangers are due to low oxygen tension, reduced mobility and therefore stagnant blood flow to the limbs increasing the likelihood of a thrombotic clot in the venous system (Deep venous thrombosis or DVT). This has short and long term local complications and consequences, most seriously it can lead to a pulmonary embolus (PE), where a small part of the DVT blood clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, causing blockage of the blood supply to part of the lungs. If either of these conditions occur, anticoagulation with blood thinning drugs will be required for a prolonged period.

Additional risk factors for DVT/PE include smoking, obesity, hormone treatments including oral contraceptive, dehydration.

Air Travel:
Long haul flights (over 7 hours flying time) should not be undertaken for a period of 3 weeks prior to surgery and ideally for 3-6 weeks AFTER any major surgical procedure (those lasting more than 90 minutes).

Your compression garment

Your compression garment will either be put on you by the nurses in recovery or by yourself when you have woken up. You may also have had Elastic Stockings (TEDS) fitted to prevent you getting clots in your legs.

Compression garments are recommended soon after surgery to aid in pain relief and to reduce swelling. Longer term, the graduated elastic compression optimises the outcome of surgery and skin/soft tissue adhesion to underlying fascia. The garments are designed to be comfortable and discreet with advanced fabrics and fixtures. They should not be uncomfortable, compromise movement or breathing or cut off your circulation! We can refer you for bespoke measurements and professional assistance with your garments.

After liposuction (including lipofilling), compression garments are mandatory in order to reduce swelling and achieve a good aesthetic outcome. These are recommended to be worn day and night for a minimum of 6 weeks, and a good outcome and for the best possible outcome to be worn for as long as 6 months . Some compression garment companies offer step-down or secondary compression after 3 weeks of continual wear and this can be a more comfortable option.

After breast surgery, your garment is recommended day and night for at least 3 weeks, but for the best possible outcome to be worn as much as you can up to 6-8weeks (a second stage garment such as supportive non-under-wired, sports bra can be worn from the 3 week mark).

We recommend you refrain from wearing under-wired bras for at least 3 months and then minimise use of such underwear where possible.

After abdominal surgery, an abdominal binder is recommended day and night for at least 6 weeks, and for the best possible outcome to be worn as much as you can for up to 6 months (a second stage corset or Spanx can be worn from the 6 week mark).

After face or neck surgery, a facelifter garment is recommended day and night for two weeks. At the two week point you can then wear it just at night until the 6 week mark, however, we do recommend you wear if for some of the day if you can manage it.

Contact details

If you have any further questions or concerns, get in touch with the office on 0207 000 3140 during office hours (Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00) or via practice@rozinaali.com. We are here to help!

Out of hours care will be provided by Rozina Ali directly or through the clinic or hospital where you had treatment. Please confirm arrangements before you are discharged home.