Preoperative Instructions

You may visit your surgeon at Orange County Plastic Surgery as many times as you wish to have all of your questions answered. At your final preoperative visit, which takes at least an hour, your final questions will be answered and you will confirm that you understood the procedure to be performed, that this material has been explained to you, that you have read and understood these information sheets, and that you accept the risks by signing the informed consent forms.  You may request a copy of the consents contained in this packet.  You will be given prescriptions for surgical soap, pain pills and antibiotics along with instructions for their use. Certain laboratory tests will also be required within two weeks of surgery. If you are over the age of 50, you will have to obtain a cardiogram, and this will have to be performed at any doctor’s office or laboratory about two weeks before surgery. You may have blood drawn by our office nurse during your final preoperative visit, or, if you prefer, at your family doctor's office or any state licensed laboratory (i.e. Kaiser Hospital, etc.). All patients will be asked to stop smoking at least a month prior to surgery in an effort to maximize your body's ability to heal the incisions following the operation.

As with all other elective procedures, the patient should avoid ibuprofen (Advil®), all Aspirin® products and excessive quantities of vitamin E (the small amount contained in most multivitamin preparations is not harmful) for two weeks before surgery, as these inhibit the clotting mechanism and increase your chances of unnecessary operative bleeding.  A separate list of other medications, which can potentially affect clotting capabilities, will be discussed along with your preoperative instructions.

Except for procedures performed through intraoral incisions, patients will be given a prescription for Hibiclens® soap. It will be necessary to scrub the surgical site for ten minutes the evening prior to surgery and for one final time on the morning of surgery before leaving for the surgical suite. Scrubbing the skin with Hibiclens® these two times will decrease the number of bacteria on your skin and minimize the chance of developing an infection after surgery.

Your anesthesiologist will discuss the available options for accomplishing your surgery comfortably and safely.   Ordinarily, your anesthesiologist will call you the night before surgery to discuss the anesthetic care plan with you.  But if you miss the call or your anesthesiologist does not call you, do not worry as you will be able to discuss your anesthesia and have all your questions answered in the morning, at the Laguna Hills Surgery Center, prior to your procedure.  It is absolutely imperative that you make arrangements in advance to have someone drive you to and from the Surgery Center on the day of your operation and that a responsible adult spend the first day or two with you at home after surgery.