Can Your Choice of Plastic Surgeon Affect Your Recovery? 5 Ways Surgical Technique Can Improve Your Plastic Surgery Experience.
Recovery timelines vary based on the procedure you choose: you may need a few weeks to bounce back from a tummy tuck, while breast augmentation patients are often back to their routine in a matter of days. But regardless of the procedure you choose, your surgeon’s method of performing the surgery will have an influence on your recovery experience.
While it may seem like every plastic surgeon would want you to recover quickly, some go the extra mile and tailor the procedure with your recovery in mind. In a recent article published in Haute Living, Dr. R. Brannon Claytor offered some insight into how he helps to minimize his plastic surgery patients’ downtime. Here are his 5 main techniques and what they mean for patients.
1. Considering less invasive alternatives
As cosmetic technology advances, your options expand for non- and minimally-invasive alternatives to surgery. An up-to-date surgeon will guide you to the least invasive option that will effectively accomplish your goals.
For example, Dr. Claytor has found that not all patients with a “turkey neck” or double chin need to go under general anesthesia for a neck lift. Instead, Dr. Claytor has had excellent success with the MyEllevate minimally-invasive neck lift for a reduced double chin and enhanced jawline. It offers dramatic results that rival surgery for the right patient, and it requires only local anesthesia and no downtime.
2. Offering all possible options for your surgical plan
A compassionate surgeon considers the details of your recovery experience when they make decisions about your surgical plan and technique. For example, traditional tummy tuck technique requires the patient to wear a cumbersome drain at the incision site during recovery, but it’s possible to have a faster tummy tuck recovery without a drain, thanks to advanced techniques.
Dr. Claytor’s drainless tummy tuck is not merely the same tummy tuck procedure minus a drain; rather, this advanced surgical technique leaves the body’s own lymphatic drainage system in place, eliminating the need for a cumbersome plastic drain to be worn during recovery. Dr. Claytor has found that patients recover faster without drains. He likes to see patients up and showering the day after surgery, as this movement helps patients to return to normal more quickly. His drainless technique has been so successful that he has used this technique exclusively for over ten years.
With numerous non-surgical procedures available, experienced surgeons know how to choose the least invasive option that will get your desired results.
3. Minimizing anesthesia
Your anesthesia plan has an important impact on your experience during recovery. An experienced, research-driven plastic surgeon will select the least intensive anesthesia plan possible, while also keeping you comfortable. In this way, your surgeon can minimize the amount of time you spend recovering not just from surgery, but also from anesthesia.
There are many examples of procedures that, with the right technique (and training in the right options, as mentioned above), allow your surgeon to use local anesthesia with sedation. Dr. Claytor performs a deep plane facelift, for example, as an “awake procedure” using a minimal-incision technique. This allows patients to enjoy a few key benefits compared with traditional facelift surgical techniques under general anesthesia:
- Patients do not suffer the unpleasant side effects of general anesthesia
- Patients experience less bruising
- Patients can typically be out in public in about 2 weeks
- The results look very natural, as muscles are repositioned without any “pulling”
4. Advising you on pre- and post-operative care
While your surgeon’s technique is of the utmost importance, your surgical outcome is also influenced by your health status before and after surgery. Here’s how Dr. Claytor helps his patients in this regard.
Pre-operative protocols
Forward-thinking plastic surgeons encourage you to begin your recovery regimen ahead of time, which includes quitting smoking, eating a nutrition-packed diet, and taking the right vitamins. At Claytor Noone Plastic Surgery, we encourage patients to begin a vitamin regimen that has been shown to promote and even accelerate healing.
Post-operative care
Excellent plastic surgeons also realize that results require proper care post-operatively, and they will guide you in all the nuances of nutrition, wound care, and appropriate activity levels in the days following surgery.
Those who go above and beyond also provide you with the products that can optimize healing. For example, Dr. Claytor encourages his liposuction patients to use Alastin® cosmeceuticals for post-op care. These topical formulas, applied like a lotion, supply a hefty dose of peptides as the skin heals, helping to reduce swelling and pain—common side effects that can prolong your recovery process. They also help improve the appearance of the skin, further optimizing your results.
5. Operating with efficiency
The longer you spend under anesthesia, the more time it will take for you to feel alert and normal again after surgery. Your plastic surgeon should work quickly and efficiently with their surgical team, leaving you “open” for as little time as possible during surgical procedures. Surgical teams work as a unit to make the process as efficient as possible; avoid surgeons who pause surgery for social media photo and video ops, as this may be a sign that they are not putting their patient’s recovery first.
Ready to consult with a caring, experienced plastic surgeon? Call Dr. Claytor today.
Dr. Brannon Claytor is a board certified plastic surgeon serving the greater Philadelphia area. With over 16 years of surgical experience and research-driven practices, Dr. Claytor is committed to providing outstanding results safely and effectively. Schedule your consultation today by calling 610.527.4833 or contacting our practice online.
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