General Instructions to Follow

Preparation Before: Consider topical tretinoin with hydroquinone (GOLD formula) before for 4-8 weeks (optional). Schedule when you can take at least one week off of work and social events. If you have had cold sores in the past, be sure the doctor prescribes Valcyclovir or another anti-viral medication for you to take two days before and for several days following the procedure to prevent cold sores from recurring. Have Vaseline®, Aquaphor®, or other recommended topical application ready at home before your procedure. Also consider asking for a medication to help you sleep and/or relax for those several difficult days immediately after the procedure.

Care after treatment: Healing is gradual, your face is an open wound that will heal, but needs gentle care. Moisture is important, and an emollient such as Aquaphor® or Vaseline® several times daily helps maintain a moist environment for skin cells to proliferate, migrate, and resurface your face. Shower the face, daily, but avoid a strong stream of water directly on the face. Soft irrigation of the face is best. Elevate your face on several pillows at night to minimize swelling. Medication to help you relax and/or sleep may be helpful to avoid touching the face. Cool compresses (bag of frozen peas or corn) may help. Avoid direct sun exposure. Find pursuits (movies, books, paperwork, creative projects) to keep your mind off of your face during the few days immediately following your procedure. Rest as needed, allowing your body to allocate available energy to healing. Call Dr. Laverson if questions 858-295-4001.

Plan for someone else to drive you home from Dr. Laverson’s office , and at least several days (five or more) off work following your procedure. You may not be able to drive for several days following the procedure. Blurry vision and difficulty closing and/or opening the eyelids is common. Have shaded glasses to protect and conceal the eyes for two to three weeks. Eyelid skin is the thinnest in the body, very delicate, and prone to swelling. Additionally, there are glands, muscles, and nerves in the eyelids. All of these structures are temporarily disrupted by cosmetic surgery of the eyelids. Dry eye is common after eyelid surgery. Eyedrops and ophthalmic ointment can help maintain necessary moisture of cornea and conjunctiva, delicate membranes that cover the eyeball. Dr. Laverson supplies these products for you to use as needed following your procedure. Application of cool compresses may offer relief, as well as analgesics (medication for pain) that Dr. Laverson will prescribe. Pick this medication up at the pharmacy, and have it available at home following the procedure. Upper eyelids heal faster than lower eyelids. If you have only the upper eyelids done, recovery is brief and uncomplicated. Lower eyelid surgery, in Dr. Laverson’s hands, rejuvenate the entire middle portion of the face. The results are generally much more dramatic, but recovery is commensurately longer. Questions or problems should be referred directly to Dr. Laverson at 858-295-4001.

No special preparation. Be prepared to breathe through your mouth for one week following the procedure. External and internal splints and external sutures are removed six to nine days after surgery. Your appearance and nasal breathing improve rapidly after this. For the first one to three days after your nose surgery, a moustache dressing to absorb nasal drainage may be required. Avoid bending down, nose blowing, or sneezing. Take medication for pain as needed. Sleep on several pillows; Head elevation controls swelling. Do NOT remove your splints, and do NOT use nose drops. Neosporin, Bacitracin, or Polysporin ointment can be applied once or twice daily to sutures near your nostrils. Swelling diminishes rapidly during the first two weeks, then more slowly for many months.  Your nose remains delicate for about two months, no contact or collision sports until your nose is not tender to the application of pressure with your fingers on the nose.

There is no special preparation for Lip Lift, Corner of Lip Lift, W-plasty, Nasolabial crease removal, and/or other lip size and/or shape adjustment procedures. Operations to enhance shape of the lips may involve sutures on the inside or outside of the lips. Bacitracin, Polysporin, or Neosporin ointment may be applied daily or twice daily to skin sutures.  If your skin is prone to acne or very “sebaceous,” these ointments should be avoided.   Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% or another oral antiseptic rinse may  be swished inside the mouth between teeth and lips three to four times daily to cleanse sutures on the inside of the lips. If sutures are inside the lips, consume a liquid or soft foods only diet for one week after your procedure.  Follow up appointment for suture removal by Dr. Laverson is 6 to 9 days after your procedure.  Lip swelling for two to four weeks and lip stiffness for months can be expected. After this, your appearance improves.  Stiffness resolves, your smile normalizes, and scars generally fade to imperceptibility over months.

Prepare for several days of inactivity at home immediately following your procedure. Consider covering mirrors, because you will look worse before looking better. Color hair before, because the use of strong colorants is not advised for several weeks after. You will need to sleep with head elevated to minimize post-procedure swelling. Bulb reservoirs should be emptied twice daily, the volume of drainage recorded, and suction restored. These drains typically are removed 3-6 days after necklift. If laser skin treatment and/or eyelids are done as part of the procedure, the above recommendations for those procedures apply. Your neck will be stiff, and driving is not recommended for at least one week, usually longer before you can see well enough and move your neck to look in different directions. The misery lasts for about one week; By then, most see almost daily improvement as swelling resolves, and the beautiful result becomes apparent. The best approach is slow, cautious resumption of activity as able.

Any lump or mass in the breast must be examined (by mammography and your physician) before getting implants. Augmentation is generally not advised until at least several months after breast feeding/breast milk is finished, and breasts have been stable in size for two months. Shower with chlorhexidine gluconate 4% solution supplied by Dr. Laverson’s office or another surgical skin disinfectant for four days prior to your procedure and the evening before or morning of your procedure. The point is not to scrub skin of the breasts, but SOAK the breasts including area around the nipples and beneath the breasts, under your arms, and all of the skin on your chest from the neck down to and including belly button. Have analgesics (pain medicine) at home before breast augmentation, because you will need it immediately after. Dr. Laverson will apply a bra at the completion of your procedure. Adjust it for comfort, but wear until at least your first post-surgical appointment. Swishing sounds and sensations in the breasts typically last several days, and represent air and disinfectant solution around the implants from your operation.  Sponge bathe for a few days, no shower, until after your first follow up appointment at the Feel Beautiful Plastic Surgery office.  Expect swelling around the implants, most significantly for two weeks following implant placement, then gradually resolving for several months. Report any significant size and/or pain difference between right and left sides to Dr. Laverson at 858-295-4001 immediately.

Breast Lift and breast reduction are  similar, so preparation and post-operative care and instructions are identical.  During both procedures, breasts are lifted on the chest and skin envelope of the breasts is tightened to correct sagging and project nipples upward and forward.  Some discomfort involved, so have prescription for pain medicine (analgesics) filled before procedure.   Medication should be available when you arrive home.  Dr. Laverson purchases and applies the highest quality Marena post-surgical support bra available.  You will awaken from anesthesia wearing this supportive bra.  Adjust elastic shoulder and chest straps as needed for comfort and fit (easy hook and eye fasteners, opens in front).  Dr. Laverson will remove bra and bandages at your first office appointment after the procedure.  Until then, keep bandages clean and dry, and do not remove the bra.  Walk around home, but avoid strenuous or painful activity.  Resume your normal medications, and consume a regular diet.  Do not take pain medicine (analgesics) on an empty stomach to avoid nausea.  Call Dr. Laverson with questions, problems, or if anything occurs that you believe may be unusual.  At the first post-surgical office appointment, you will likely receive supplies for continued care of your lifted (and perhaps reduced) breasts.  The quality of your final scar is an important feature of  your result. This scar develops for months following the procedure.  For eight to twelve weeks, Dr. Laverson may apply, and instruct you in the application of, Hypafix® tape across your skin closure to prevent scar widening by providing additional breast support.  Solid support bra recommended for at least twelve weeks after breast lift or breast reduction.

Because you will be inactive for one to two weeks following tummy tuck, make arrangements for child care, and reschedule all physically demanding obligations.  Have pain medicine (analgesics), and if needed, muscle relaxer and/or sleeping medication available.  After tummy tuck, walking several times daily around the home and deep breathing are advised, and encouraged.  You will awake from anesthesia with soft padding covering your abdomen, and a snugly applied, high quality, latex-free Dale abdominal binder securing these bandages in place, and suppoting your abdominal transformation.  Adjust tension of your abdominal binder by gently unfastening the velcro, repositioning the binder snugly, but comfortably, low around hips and encompassing your waist also.  Refasten binder and drain reservoirs.  These bulb reservoirs should be emptied two to three times daily into a small measuring cup, and the time of emptying and volume of drainage recorded.  After emptying bulb, collapse it completely and re-cap to restore suction.  Secure reservoir to binder with safety pin or velcro.  Bring written record of drainage to follow up appointment so Dr. Laverson can evaluate best time for removal of each drain.  If you went home from the surgery center with an indwelling urine catheter, it may be removed when you are able to comfortably get up from bed or chair to restroom.  Do not remove bandages or shower after tummy tuck until you have seen Dr. Laverson in the office following your procedure, and then only if he has indicated you may shower.  Until your first  office appointment following tummy tuck, sponge bathe only (no shower or bath), and keep bandages clean and dry.  Excessive blood on bandages, bleeding, or drainage from the surgical area are unusual, and should be reported to Dr. Laverson at 858-295-4001.  Dr. Laverson will supply a large roll of clean padding to take home and apply beneath your Dale abdominal binder after each shower.  He will also apply, and instruct you in the application of,  Hypafix® tape across your lower abdominal closure for two to three months following tummy tuck to produce the best possible (least visible) scar.   During the second and third months after tummy tuck, Dr. Laverson recommends continued support of your repair with a second stage compression garment that his office supplies.  You will have some choice in the garment.  Second stage garments are less bulky and easier to wear than the abdominal binder.

Genital soft tissue is erectile, and prone to excessive swelling.  Don’t be alarmed during the first week after your procedure when your labia and surrounding skin is bruised and disproportionately swollen with a deformed appearance.  PROTECT with padding.  We supply surgical padding at your procedure, and menstrual pads work well also.  Limit your activity to avoid unnecessary perineal trauma.  Genital skin is delicate and sensitive.  Sex, bicycle, and horseback riding are out for minimum four weeks, and should be resumed only when you can do so without pain. For PAIN CONTROL, we supply anesthetic cream for direct application to your labia as needed, and narcotic analgesic tablets (usually Vicodin, Norco, or Percocet) as prescribed.  We often supply a gel pack which doubles as a warm compress (heat in microwave) or cold compress (refrigerator or freezer).  Application of the gel pack to your surgical area is optional, and may help resolve aching.  Gentle showering and bathing daily are recommended for HYGIENE.  We also supply cotton tipped applicators to moisten and gently clean between folds of skin as needed.  Any abnormal findings, significant asymmetry between right and left sides, bleeding, wound breakdown, infection, or other problem should be reported to Dr. Laverson immediately at 858-295-4001.

After BBL (fat transfer to buttocks), you’ll be managing two or more surgical sites including the “donor site(s)” where fat was harvested and removed by liposuction and the “recipient site,” your buttocks.  Donor sites are covered with a custom fitted compression garment which Dr. Laverson applies at the conclusion of your surgical procedure.  This same garment will cover your buttocks with  light consistent evenly distributed pressure to smooth your buttocks and facilitate successful engraftment of fat by avoiding excessive pressure.  Not laying or sitting on your buttocks is recommended to promote successful fat transfer.  A “BBL Pillow” may be recommended or supplied by Dr. Laverson.  Reposition yourself often when sitting or when laying in bed to avoid prolonged application of pressure to a single area of your body.  Manage drainage from your skin onto the compression garment by insertion of (an) absorbent pad(s) as needed beneath the garment over the drainage site(s).  Use analgesics (pain medication) as needed, and stool softener and/or fiber to promote return of gastrointestinal function and bowel movements.  Adjust garment as needed for hygiene and to prevent soilage.  Sponge bathe only (no shower) for first several days after surgery, until after your first follow-up appointment in Dr. Laverson’s office.  Call Feel Beautiful Plastic Surgery at 858-295-4001 if any questions or unexpected observation or situation arises.