What to Expect the Day of Your Surgery
The day has come and we couldn’t be more excited for you! You couldn’t have made a better choice – Dr. Sobel will be performing your procedure! Here are a few things you need to do to prepare yourself before your surgery.
Self preparation will begin the night before your procedure, starting with washing your body with Hibiclens from head to toe, including your hair. We also ask that you refrain from food and drinks after midnight, including water, unless otherwise advised by Dr. Sobel. If you take any medication regularly, Dr. Sobel will determine whether or not you should take that medication prior to the operation. Please remember to bring all medications with you the day of your procedure and dress comfortably for easy dressing before you go home. One of our front office staff will call you the day before your surgery and go over all of the pre-operative and day-of instructions.
Arrival times will vary based on your procedure’s start time. The morning of your surgery you will be greeted at the side entrance of our facility by our registered nurse who will bring you back to one of our exam rooms to begin the morning-of process. You will be asked to change into one of our surgical gowns and our nurse will prep you by taking your vitals, retrieving your weight, starting an IV, and reviewing with you what to expect from recovery. If your procedure requires anesthesia, you will meet one of our highly trained anesthetists to discuss any further questions you may have at that time. The same anesthesia provider will have discussed their services with you by phone a day or two in advance. Caregiver information is required before your operation begins so we can confirm a safe ride home and proper aftercare supervision.
At Anderson Sobel Cosmetic Surgery, we want you to feel at ease. We are equipped with a music system in our operating room that will play a music selection of your choice in order to make you feel more comfortable. Once in the operating room, the medical assistant will help you onto our operating table and cover you with a warm blanket. Leg compression sleeves will be placed on your lower legs to keep steady blood circulation throughout the surgery. The anesthetist will start your fluids through the IV and you will begin to drift until you have fallen asleep.
After surgery you will be gently woken by our operatory staff and bandaged, if required. Our nurse will bring you into the recovery room and help you dress. She will continue checking your vitals for 30 minutes after the surgery and offer you water and crackers while you continue to wake up. We will also discuss what you can expect over the next few days, and remind you of your medication schedule post surgery.
During your immediate recovery, the front office staff will make sure your caregiver has arrived and is ready to take you home. The nurse will assist you out to your vehicle and remind your caregiver of all medication schedules for your recovery. Dr. Sobel will call you that evening to answer any questions and discuss your personalized recovery plans!
Typically, an appointment will be scheduled for the day after surgery and follow-up appointments will be scheduled for Dr. Sobel monitor your healing process. We all, and Dr. Sobel especially, love seeing our patients’ progress through their healing and share with their excitement as their results are revealed!
We really do look forward to taking care of you and enjoying your results along with you.
~ Katie Dewey, Medical Assistant