It is important you maintain a relationship with your aesthetic plastic surgeon to ensure you have the safest recovery possible.
The relationship with your surgeon does not end when you leave the operating room. You will return to your surgeon’s office for follow-up care at prescribed intervals. Your surgeon will evaluate your progress during these visits and check for complications. You need to attend all of these appointments, as skipping them can jeopardize your health and safety.
Depending on your specific surgery, your surgeon will close any surgical incisions either with absorbable sutures (that disappear on their own) or with a material they will need to remove (such as non-absorbable sutures or staples). The choice of closure material depends on the type of surgery and the tension along the incision. If you need anything removed, your surgeon will perform the removal during a scheduled follow-up office visit. Your surgeon will discuss the timing for these visits in advance of your surgery.
In general, your surgeon will instruct you on how to keep your incisions clean and what care regime to follow during the immediate healing phase. After about 2 to 3 weeks of healing, your surgeon will give you instructions on how to minimize scarring, such as applying specific creams to speed scar maturation and using sunblock to help with scar pigmentation.
If you have questions or concerns during your recovery or need additional information at a later time, don’t hesitate to contact your surgeon.