TUMESCENT LIPOSUCTION PRE-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Do not take aspirin (Anacin, Bufferin) for one week prior to surgery.  Severe, even life-threatening bruising can result.

2.  Do not take thyroid medication the day of surgery.   It may promote rapid and/or irregular heartbeat.  For the same reason, do not take decongestants  (sudafed, various cold/sinus/allergy preparations) or over-the-counter diet medications the day of surgery.  These medications may be resumed 48 hours after surgery.

3.  Do not take prescription diet medications (Fastin, Ionamin, Adipex, Tenuate, Bontril, or other brands of phentermine, or diethylpropion) for 3 days before surgery.  You may wish to taper off these medications by taking them every other day for a day week before stopping them completely 3 days before surgery.  Like the drugs mentioned in item two above, these medications can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat when combined with the tumescent anesthetic solution.  They may be resumed 48 hours after surgery.

4.  Do not take Zoloft, Wellbutrin or Zyban the day of surgery

5.  Take half of your usual dose of Effexor, Meridia, or any antidepressant besides Zoloft or Wellbutrin the day of surgery.

6.  Do take any anti-hypertensive (high blood pressure) medications according to your usual schedule.

7.  Arrange to have someone available to drive you home after the surgery.  Tell them you will telephone them when you are done; the surgery is too long for them to wait in our office (unless they want to visit with you during the surgery, or wish to see how tumescent liposuction is performed).

8.  Wear loose clothing the day of surgery since the dressings applied after liposuction are bulky.  Likewise the clothing should be easily washable, since some drainage is likely to escape the dressings.  Sweatshirt and sweatpants in a dark color are ideal.  Women should wear a bra they would not mind getting stained with the blue ink used to mark the surgical areas.  Do not wear an exercise sports bra if you are having liposuction of your abdomen or torso; they come down too low.  Men should wear Speedo-type swim trunks.

9.  Do not wear unnecessary jewelry, apply no perfume (deodorant is o.k.), and minimize use of cosmetics (survival rations only).

10. Do not use moisturizers or soap which contains moisturizers for 3 days before surgery; the ink markers used to outline the areas to be treated on your body will rub off too easily.

11. We will give you a large piece of plastic to put on your car’s seat for the ride home.  You should then place it on your bed and put a beach towel or two over it.  You may wish to place a towel on the floor next to the bed.

12. You must be on a stable, healthy, normal diet for two weeks before surgery.  If you are rapidly losing weight at the time of surgery, you are “melting” body tissues and may not heal well after your surgery.  You would also be at increased risk of irregular heartbeat and other surgical complications.

13. Eat breakfast the day of surgery. Avoid alcohol the night before surgery.  Cut your caffeine consumption by at least half on the day of surgery.

14. Start the antibiotic I have given you (cephalexin, doxycycline, Doryx, Zithromax, etc) the night before surgery and take a second dose the morning of surgery.  If your surgery will be in the afternoon, start the antibiotic the morning of surgery day and, if it is cephalexin, get in two doses before surgery.

15. If you wish to listen to music during your procedure, bring your favorite CD’s; please label the boxes with your name.

16. If you have any questions or think something might be pertinent that you forgot to tell us, please call.