At Changes Plastic Surgery & Spa we want all our patients to know what to expect ahead of their Plastic Surgery experience with us. Our team of professionals are highly experienced and highly trained to ensure you have the most comfortable experience as part of your treatment. We generally follow a set of steps from the beginning to the end. These include:
Consultation
Pre-Op Appointment
Surgery or Intraoperative Phase
Post-Op Appointment
Follow-up Appointments
Your Consultation
The Consultation process is an important step in all surgical procedures. During the consultation, your plastic surgeon at Changes Plastic Surgery & Spa will assess whether you are a good candidate to undergo the desired surgical procedure. If so, they will deep dive into a completely customized surgical plan just for you!
At this time, you can ask any questions concerning your surgery. They will review your medical history and any medication you are currently on. During your hour consultation, we will utilize our Vectra imaging machine to take photos of the desired area for surgery. The Vectra is a digital imaging technology that allows you to see the before and after benefits of your plastic surgery.
Once you have met with the doctor and gone over the surgical process, you will meet with their patient coordinator to go over available dates to schedule your surgery. Once you decide on a date for your surgery, a $500 deposit is required to hold the date (this deposit will go toward the total of your surgery).
*During the review of your medical history, if you have any past medical history of concern, the doctor may request you see your primary care physician for clearance. This would be a physical exam to see if you are healthy enough to undergo surgery. Physical exams can include X-rays, CT scans, and blood and urine tests, etc. Pre-op procedures may also include changes to your diet, medication, and lifestyle habits. After succeeding in all these, your surgeon can confidently proceed with your surgery.
Your Pre-op
During your pre-op you will be meeting with one of our highly trained medical assistants to go over pre- and post- op surgery care. At this time, you will be able to ask any questions you may have thought of after your initial consultation. We encourage you to write any questions you have down, and we will thoroughly go over the answers. You will receive your prescriptions for post-surgery and instructions on how to take each one. Depending on the type of surgery you are having, we will instruct you on the exact location to show up at on your surgery day. Your pre-op appointment is typically scheduled 1 month prior to your surgery, this is also the time that the remainder of the surgery balance is due.
Your Surgery
Congratulations, you made it to your Surgery Day! Before your surgery, you will change into a surgical gown and remove any form of jewelry, wigs, hearing aids, contact lenses, etc. Next, if you are having surgery done under general anesthesia, the surgical team will check your blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate. The anesthesiologist will then insert an IV line into your arm to supply the medication and fluid during the operation.
If you are having surgery under local anesthesia, you will be given your medication orally, in pill form and lie down in a dark, quiet room while it takes effect.
The medication that you receive may include either local, regional, or general anesthesia. These ensure that you feel no pain during the surgery. Once they are through with this, your surgery will begin.
Your Post-op Appointment
Post-op care refers to the sequence of events following your surgical procedure. Your post-op appointment is scheduled at the same time you schedule your surgery and is typically 2-4 days post-surgery. The kind of post-op care that you receive depends on some factors. They include the type of surgery you had done and your medical history. At this appointment you will meet with both your doctor and our medical assistant to look at and care for the surgical incisions and pain management. During this appointment, we will evaluate your surgical incisions for signs of infection and bleeding. If there is no infection or bleeding, your incisions should take 2-3 days to begin healing. Once assessed by the doctor, we can safely proceed to remove any of the staples or sutures from your incisions. We will also clean and re-bandage your incisions and schedule you to come back in for your follow-up appointment.
Your Follow-up Appointments
After surgery, follow-up appointments are intended to evaluate the recovery process and help support your course of recovery. These appointments will be with both your doctor and our medical assistant to ensure the healing process is on point, and to take photos for documentation of your surgical process.
For more on our surgery process, call Changes Plastic Surgery & Spa in San Diego, California at (858) 264-3800 to speak with our team or to schedule a consultation
