At Aesthetic Surgical Arts in Overland Park, KS, we understand that bodies changing over time is perfectly natural. We also understand that these changes are not always welcome, and it is not always possible for people to achieve their desired aesthetic without help from a plastic surgeon. If you think you could benefit from plastic surgery near Kansas City, keep reading to learn more about the recovery process, who usually qualifies for surgery, and much more.
How Long Is Recovery After Plastic Surgery Near Kansas City?
You can generally expect to need three to 14 days off from work to recover from plastic surgery near Kansas City. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For example, it is imperative that you do not engage in vigorous physical activity or lift anything that weighs more than 10 to 20 pounds for the first six to eight weeks of your recovery process. If your job requires you to lift things weighing around 10 pounds, you may need to take a couple of months off.
What Can I Do To Speed Up My Recovery Process?
There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your surgery recovery goes as smoothly as possible. For example, regardless of the procedure or procedures you undergo, it is essential that you remain hydrated throughout the recovery process. As a general rule, you should aim to drink around half a gallon of water daily. If you’re on track to drink eight cups of water throughout the day but your urine is dark, eat more foods that are high in water.
Broth-based soups are great to turn to if you are hungry, dehydrated, and not in the mood to drink another glass of water. It is also a good idea to turn to vegetables, fruits, and smoothies made with ice and Greek yogurt. The reason Greek yogurt makes a great smoothie base is that it is much higher in protein than regular yogurt. Here are some other tips for speeding up your recovery process.
Protect the Incision Sites
Protecting the incision sites is another important step to take if you want to heal from surgery as quickly as possible. One thing you need to protect the incision sites from is excessive pressure. To accomplish this, make sure that you sleep on your back if you undergo a procedure like a tummy tuck, nose job, or abdominal liposuction. If you have liposuction to remove fat from your buttocks or back, sleep on your stomach.
Wearing a compression garment is also generally advisable. Whether you need to wear a compression garment primarily depends on the scope of the procedure. For instance, you should wear a compression garment if you get liposuction or a tummy tuck. If you get plastic surgery to improve the appearance of your face, you will not need to wear a compression garment. However, you should take care to keep the incision sites clean and dry.
Get More Rest
Adequate rest is another essential part of the plastic surgery recovery process. Ideally, you should go to bed whenever you feel tired and allow your body to wake you up naturally. If you are usually an early riser because you need to take care of pets or children, try to find someone to take over that responsibility for you while you focus on your recovery. If that is not possible, try to go to bed earlier or take naps throughout the day.
If you’re finding it hard to fall asleep, try to improve your sleep hygiene. If you watch TV, play computer games, or scroll through your phone shortly before bed, wear special glasses that block blue light, a light wavelength emitted by many household electronics. If you wake up sweating in the middle of the night, turn your AC down or get a small AC unit to cool your bedroom. Also, you may benefit from taking a melatonin supplement or meditating before bed.
Go for a Walk
To recover from plastic surgery near Kansas City as quickly as possible, you need to strike a balance between rest and active recovery. You can speed up your recovery by committing to half an hour of moderate physical activity most days. Just make sure that you don’t push yourself too hard. During the first day or two following your procedure, you should not expect to have the same stamina you had before surgery.
We strongly recommend walking around the ground floor of your home during the first day or two post-op. This way, it will be easy for you to stop and rest whenever you need to. Note that it is perfectly fine to break your exercise into three 10-minute sessions if you feel overwhelmed at the thought of walking for 30 minutes at a time. Also, you should be aware that other forms of gentle cardio, like spinning, can also help you speed up your recovery process.
Am I a Good Plastic Surgery Candidate?
To verify that plastic surgery is right for you, it is imperative that you meet with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your health and goals. We need to know about both your present health and health history to verify that surgery will be safe for you. We also need to ensure that any procedure you are considering will be an effective way to achieve your aesthetic goals. Here are some procedures you may be a good fit for depending on your goals.
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty has been one of the five most popular procedures in the world for years. This procedure may be considered appropriate for you if you are concerned about excess skin or loose skin in the abdominal region. If you are only concerned about your lower abdomen, you will probably be considered a good fit for partial abdominoplasty. During partial abdominoplasty, skin problems can be corrected, and a small amount of abdominal fat can be removed.
If you have concerns about your abdominal muscles, you will need to get full abdominoplasty. During full abdominoplasty, excess and loose skin both below and above the navel can be corrected. Furthermore, the abdominal walls can be tightened, improving such problems as lower back pain caused by poor posture and an extruding lower abdomen. Other problems that can be corrected include ventral hernias and stress urinary incontinence.
Liposuction
There is a very good chance that you will be considered a good liposuction candidate if you are concerned about moderate pockets of stubborn excess fat. This procedure is designed to remove a significant amount of fat from virtually any area of concern. However, you need to come in for an initial consultation to ensure that this procedure will be effective for you. Generally, we look for people with at least an inch of pinchable fat.
There are exceptions, though. We usually look for at least five pounds of subcutaneous fat in large areas, like the upper arms, thighs, buttocks, or abdomen. However, this procedure may still be effective if there is not at least an inch of pinchable fat in a smaller area, like the submental region, underarms, or knees.
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is another very popular cosmetic procedure. Known colloquially as a nose job, this procedure can provide a number of cosmetic and medical benefits. There is a good chance you will be considered a good candidate for this procedure if you have such cosmetic concerns as a disproportionately large or small nose, bumps along the bridge of the nose, or an asymmetrical nose.
Rhinoplasty also may be a good fit for you if you have medical conditions caused by a deviated septum. If you can’t sleep on your back because you have sinus drainage or airflow problems, a functional nose job can help you breathe and sleep better.
How Long Does Rhinoplasty Recovery Take?
How long rhinoplasty recovery takes depends on several factors, including the scope of the procedure and the technique used. If you get a closed nose job, you can expect your recovery to be a lot shorter than it would be if you get an open nose job. Furthermore, you can expect your recovery to take longer if your nose needs to be broken during the procedure or cartilage is grafted and implanted into your nose.
Rhinoplasty recovery is pretty similar to recovering from other cosmetic procedures. For instance, you will only need to go six to eight weeks without lifting much weight. You also will only need to refrain from vigorous physical activity for six to eight weeks. However, it can take up to 13 months to heal from surgery completely if cartilage is grafted from your ribs or ears.
Forehead Lift
A forehead lift is another cosmetic procedure you may be a good fit for. This procedure is designed to reverse the signs of aging affecting your upper face. Typically, people seek this procedure because they are concerned about permanent vertical frown lines between the brows. However, you may be a good fit for this procedure if you have other cosmetic concerns, like sagging eyebrows or horizontal forehead folds.
Who Is a Poor Fit for Plastic Surgery?
You may be considered a poor fit for plastic surgery near Kansas City if you are in poor health. For example, you may not qualify for surgery if you suffer from certain heart or bleeding problems that require you to take blood-thinning drugs daily. You also may not qualify for surgery if you suffer from uncontrolled diabetes. Furthermore, you will not qualify for surgery if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or possibly pregnant.
Will I Need To Fast To Qualify for Surgery?
Whether you need to be able to fast prior to surgery to qualify depends on whether you will need to receive general anesthesia prior to surgery. If you receive a local anesthetic to remain comfortable during your procedure, you will not need to fast prior to surgery. However, you must be able to go eight hours without eating prior to surgery if general anesthesia is administered. You also must be able to dry fast for two hours if you get a general anesthetic.
Find Out Today Whether Plastic Surgery Near Kansas City Is Right for You
It can take around three to 14 days of extremely dedicated recovery to get back to your usual routine after plastic surgery near Kansas City. If you think plastic surgery is right for you, contact us today at Aesthetic Surgical Arts in Overland, KS to schedule your initial consultation and find out for sure.
