A successful outcome in a facial plastic surgery procedure depends on three things:
- Your general health and ability to heal
- The expertise of your surgeon
- Adherence to your surgeon’s pre-operative and post-operative instructions
Although you will receive specific instructions pertaining to your individual case after surgery, Dr. Kim offers the following general guidelines to post-operative care.
Recovery Room and Discharge
When your surgical procedure is complete, you will be escorted to the recovery room. After you meet discharge criteria, you will then be discharged in the care of a trusted family member or friend. The nursing staff will provide you with preprinted aftercare instructions that you should follow closely. Prior to the operation date, we will provide prescriptions for medications that can maximize your comfort during the early postoperative period. Dr. Kim advises that you fill them prior to your surgery date so you can concentrate solely on rest and recovery. If you live alone, it is strongly recommend that you have someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours after the procedure.
Out-of-Town Patients
If you are one of the many patients who live outside the Portland area, you must plan to stay in Portland for the night following surgery. Our staff is happy to assist you with transportation, hotel and/or private duty nurse arrangements. If you live out of state, you should plan on staying in Portland until your first post-operative visit (usually one week). You may also fly out one week after the operation.
Post-Operative Checkups
During your first post-operative visit, we will perform a comprehensive examination and a return follow-up visit will be scheduled at that time. Non-dissolvable sutures, splints or drains (if applicable) will be removed during this appointment.
The typical timeframe for subsequent post-operative visits is as follows (may vary):
- One month
- Two to three months
- Six months
- One year after surgery
- As needed
It is important to keep these appointments, as they are vital to achieving the best possible results. Post-operative visits are not charged separately as they are included as part of the overall surgery cost.