I was seeing a postoperative patient recently and ran into a circumstance that is worth talking about. This was a patient who had some facial surgery and had a few cosmetic issues with the result that were going to require some adjustment. Only then did I find out that the urgency of getting the surgery done in the first place was because of a big upcoming event. Now the patient would have to attend this event not looking as good as they would have liked. Most disappointing for all involved for sure.
This unfortunate situation speaks to the timing of elective plastic surgery before an important life’s event. How much time should one allow to properly recover? The answer is going to vary a great deal depending upon the type of plastic surgery that one is having. As a general rule, I find that many patients are a bit optimistic about how long it takes to feel or look good but there is one contingency that is never thought about…complications. The uncommon but real possibility that some problem will develop after surgery that delays one’s recovery. While most of the time complications are certainly an inconvenience but they are catastrophic to one’s life. But in the event of an upcoming wedding or oversea trip for example, the stakes are much higher.
For major plastic surgery of the body, such as tummy tucks and large amounts of liposuction, a good window of recovery is a minimum of 6 weeks. More ideally, one should allow for 3 months before embarking on a cruise, overseas trip, or a beach vacation. These operations are harder on the body than one would think and getting back up to speed to enjoy such events takes a good amount of time. Minor complications such as seromas (fluid build-up) or extruding sutures are common after body operations that involve long incisions and they often don’t appear for several weeks to a month or more after surgery. Three months is a good window of time to get past any of these potential problems.
Plastic surgery of the face poses different recovery issues than that of the body. Facial recovery is more about appearance than being physically limiting. Major cosmetic facial surgery such as facelifts, eyelid and browlifts, rhinoplasty (nose jobs), or multiple facial implants cause swelling and facial changes that take time to get used to. Because we are all very aware and sensitive to even the most smallest detail on our face (even though most other people are not), one may not feel that one looks normal for some time. This is a critical concern when there is an upcoming wedding, public speaking commitment, or any event where one will be the center of attention. Facial complications are almost always minor but they affect appearance and never quite get better quick enough. For these reasons, three months of recovery is a minimum for major facial surgery and 6 months is more ideal.
For more ‘minor’ plastic surgery, such as breast augmentations or more limited cosmetic facial surgery, these recovery periods are not needed. I realize that sometimes the desire for plastic surgery is rather impulsive and its consideration can be emotionally exhilarating. But major life’s events may be one-time occurrences, elective plastic surgery can be done anytime.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana