The way you take care of yourself after plastic surgery is as important as the way you prepare for the surgery itself. After the surgery, the area that has usually been handled becomes sore and at times numb as healing continues. You need to take care of yourself so that the healing progresses the right way. Here are various tips for proper post-surgical care.
Eat Right
Your body requires replacement tissue cells at the place of surgery. The tissue might be superficial or deep tissue. Your body uses the nutrients you supply to produce these cells. This is why you need to eat right, and drink plenty of water. The building block of cells in your body is proteins. It is therefore vital that you eat healthy proteins as you recover.
Don’t forget vitamin C and Zinc, which are essential to wound healing. Additionally, eat green vegetables to speed up the process of healing.
As you adopt these new eating habits, you need to drop some of the eating habits as well. For instance, you need to put a stop to processed sugars and carbonated beverages.
Alcohol and nicotine can affect the coagulation of platelets at the site of the incision. Go slow on these, or avoid them entirely for a few weeks after the surgery.
Be in Good Physical Shape
Maintaining a good physical shape will speed up recovery as well. It does not mean that you have to lug around heavy dumbbells or do bench presses with heavy weights, a walk around the block for 30 minutes will do the trick. The aim is to keep your blood moving around your body.
Get Enough Rest Daily
Your tissue cells need sufficient time to rejuvenate themselves. You rest when you nap or when you sleep. The recommended time for healthy sleep is 8 hours. Make sure you have enough sleep every night for your cells to grow. Tired cells cannot protect your body against invasion by pathogens. After surgery, your body cells are weak and vulnerable, but with enough rest, your immunity will improve.
Line up a Caregiver and Child Care
After surgery, it isn’t recommended to perform daily chores lest you break open stitches and expose the wound. This is why you need to have a constant caregiver for at least 24 hours. However, you shouldn’t pick just any caregiver you come across, make sure the one you choose has some nursing skills and knows what you need to heal fast.
The caregiver needs to understand the instructions of the surgeon and follow them to the latter. Apart from the medical instructions, you need to let the caregiver know what you need to be done around the house.
As you line up a caregiver, don’t forget to organize for child care for your kids. This is because it will be hard for you to pick them up from school. You can look for a relative, a friend or enlist the services of a professional outfit to take care of your children.
Understand the Warning Signs
You need to know the warning signs of the surgical procedure and be on the lookout for them. For instance, if the skin around your wound starts swelling or if the pain increases, you need to call the surgeon immediately.
To prevent a problem from catching you unaware, you need to go for follow-ups as directed by the surgeon. This is because during these sessions the doctor will check the progress of the procedure and suggest changes early enough.
Additionally, you need to take your medications as prescribed by the doctor. Do not adopt a higher dose or a lower dose due to your judgment.
Take Care of the Wound
Try not to make the wound wet for at least two days. You also need to ensure that the surgical incisions are protected from excessive motion, abrasion, or force.
