Before Liposuction Instructions

1. Our office wants to provide you with the very best surgical care. You can help to minimize the risk of complications by carefully reading and following your preoperative and postoperative instructions. Please ask us to clarify any item about which you have questions.
   
   
2. Do Not Take ASPIRIN (Anacin, Bufferin, or Baby Aspirin) or IBUPROFEN (Advil, Motrin, or Nuprin), or NAPROXEN (Aleve) or any other Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) similar to these medications for 7 days before surgery; these will promote bleeding and bruising. It is permissible to take acetaminophen (Tylenol etc.).
   
   
3. Do not drink alcohol or take Vitamin E supplements for 3 days prior to surgery, these might cause increased bleeding. Do not take decongestants such as Sudafed or Actifed for 3 days before surgery.
   
   
4. Do not take appetite suppressants such as phentermine (Fastin) for at least one week before surgery. Do not take Zoloft, Prozac or other antidepressant and herbal remedies, unless specifically approved by your surgeon, for one week before surgery.
   
   
5. Do Not Drive Home: Arrange to have someone drive you home from Dr. Al Rustom's Skin and Laser Clinic after the surgery.
   
   
6. Do not wear unnecessary jewelry, no perfume (deodorant is OK), and no cosmetics on the day of your procedure.
   
   
7. Diet before surgery: If your surgery is scheduled to begin before 9:30 a.m., do not eat solid food after midnight prior to surgery. If surgery is scheduled for the afternoon, you may have a light breakfast before 8:00 a.m., but only clear liquid for lunch. Please minimize caffeine the day of surgery. You may have a snack as soon as surgery is completed.
   
   
8. Changing your dressing the morning after surgery is easier if you have someone to help you. Although for treatment of the chin, cheeks, jowls and neck it is easy to manage by yourself.
   
   
9. Wear loose comfortable clothing on the day of surgery: There is usually a lot of drainage of slightly blood-tinged anesthetic solution after surgery. Since this drainage might stain clothing, we suggest that you choose your clothing with this in mind. Because we will apply elastic support garments on top of some bulky absorbent gauze padding your clothing should be loose and comfortable.
   
   Note: The following are for liposuction of the body - These are not necessary for liposuction of the face and neck only.
   
   Women: for liposuction on the body wear a comfortable bra that you would not mind getting stained from the blue ink that is used to mark the surgical areas. Do not wear an exercise sports bra if you are having liposuction on your abdomen or torso.
   
   Men: Speedo-type swim trunks are the easiest type of garment to wear into the operating room for surgery on the body. Jockey-type underpants are acceptable. Boxer-type underpants are less convenient, and may prevent optimal results. Bring extra underpants to wear after surgery.
   
   
10. Bring warm socks to prevent cold toes during surgery. If you tend to get cold hands, you are welcome to bring clean mittens to wear during the surgery.
    
    
11. Do not use moisturizers or soap that contains moisturizers for two days before surgery. The ink markers used to outline the areas on your body to be treated by liposuction will rub-off too easily if you have recently used a moisturizer.
    
    
12. Do not fast or undergo dramatic weight loss just prior to surgery. All patients should be on a stable, healthy, well balanced diet for at least 2 weeks before surgery. Liquid diets, extreme low calorie diets, and rapid weight loss diets may predispose to cardiac irregularities, surgical complications or poor wound healing.

Check What to Expect after the liposuction.