Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Magazine #68

nose
body as a whole. This fixation can become so severe that
they often think of nothing else and it compromises their
ability to function.
Body dysmorphic disorder is not rare and is frequently
left undiagnosed. In the case of cosmetic surgery, BDD
patients are unlikely to ever be satisfied. The result is either
at odds with their expectations, or the patient will continue
to return seeking more and more treatment.
A pre-surgical assessment by the surgeon, including
specific questions about appearance concerns, motivation
for surgery and medical history is always necessary for
the surgeon to understand the patient’s psychological and
physical state and either prepare the person for surgery, or
suggest an alternative approach.
Prepare yourself physically
During the consultation process, the surgeon will discuss
with the patient in detail various factor to help shape realistic
expectations going into surgery. These often include
details of the chosen procedure, the type of anaesthesia
to be used, the risks and limitations involved, any required
medications, the patients expectations and goals, realistic
outcomes, as well as the steps to take to physically prepare
for the procedure.
The consultation process is an important time for the
patient to ask any questions they have about the procedure,
the possible risks and complications and recovery and
post-operative care. The surgeon will evaluate the shape
and structure of the patient’s anatomy pertaining to the
treatment area to determine which surgical techniques are
most suitable as well as what results can be realistically
achieved. For face surgery, this includes examining
the patient’s skin tone and elasticity and the extent of
tissue ageing.
In some cases, patients might be asked to undergo lab
testing or a medical evaluation to establish exact health
and fitness levels. The surgeon may advise the patient to
adjust the medications they are taking, and discourage the
use of any forms of aspirin, as well as some vitamins and
supplements, which can increase the risk of blood clotting.
For those patients that smoke, you will need to stop
smoking well in advance of the surgery, as smoking
significantly increases surgical and anaesthetic
complications and can impair healing post-operatively.
As for the recovery period, there are many factors that
can affect the length of recovery. Every person’s body has
different tendencies toward healing, however carefully
following the doctor’s advice can help to speed the process
along. The nature of the recovery period will depend on the
surgical technique and anaesthetic administered, and the
type and extent of the surgery.
The specific length of recovery is dependent on factors
such as age, pre-operative activity level as well as the
number and type of procedures that have been performed.
However, most patients can usually return to everyday
activities after between two and three weeks. Final results
may not be evident until several months after surgery. csbm
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