PREOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
Before Procedure
- No smoking
- No cosmetic injections
- No body tattoos or piercings
- Consent forms due
- Outstanding accounts due
- Organise a support person to pick you up
- Discontinue ALL non-prescription medication (including multivitamins and herbal products)
- Discontinue ALL diet medications- including shakes, thermogenic products, and duromine (phentermine)
- No blood thinning medications, including: Aspirin, Ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen), Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory, Vitamin E, Gingko Biloba or Fish Oil
- No illegal drugs
- You CAN continue to take the contraceptive pill
- No alcohol
- Report any signs of infections, colds, rashes, or skin sores
- If you have ANY respiratory symptoms – notify the clinic
- No spray tanning/ remove ALL traces of tan to prevent infection on the treated area
- If you require a medical certificate: email the clinic with exact days. For example: 24.3.2021 – 24.04.2021
- Wash your hair
- Read through your post operative instructions
- Shower with the anti-bacterial wash
- Do not apply anything to the skin: lotion, powder, deodorant, perfume, makeup
- Remove all jewellery and piercings
- Remove nail polish from at least one finger
- Wear clean, loose and comfortable clothes, ideally a button up or zip up top
- Brush your teeth
- No contact lenses
POSTOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY MOBILE
0447 158 040
Calls only, no text messages
If you are unable to reach our nurse and believe you may be experiencing a medical emergency contact 000
WHAT IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY?
- Significant pain after taking all prescribed pain medication
- Persistent vomiting
- Excessive redness, swelling, bleeding
- A temperature over 37.8° C
After Procedure
- Avoid showering for the first 48 hours after your Blepharoplasty procedure. When showering take care not to wet the dressings. If dressings do get wet, dry with a hair dryer on a cool setting
- Do not scrub, exfoliate, or aggressively massage treatment area for four weeks
- Avoid alcohol and anti-inflammatory medication for one week
- Sleep with head elevated on two-three pillows for at least the first 72 hours
- No exercise, swimming, hot tubs or saunas for two weeks
- Avoid anti-inflammatory medication for 48 hours
- Avoid bending or heavy lifting for two weeks
- Avoid makeup for 72 hours
- No smoking or vaping for six weeks
- Avoid driving until vision is unrestricted
- 0 hours – Day 6: Sleep and rest in an upright position (45-degree angle) on 2-3 pillows
- Day 6 – 14: You may sleep flat on your back. No stomach sleeping with face down for four weeks
- ALL patients will require a dressing change at week one, dressing changes are performed in clinic or with your GP
- Let soapy water wash over the incision sites (do not scrub) then apply Stratamed to the incision points twice daily while the skin is healing after initially removing the pressure garment. Tiny scabs may appear during the healing process. Please do not pick at the scabs.
All patients will have scheduled postoperative appointments with their doctor at six weeks, three months, six months (optional), and 12 months (optional). If you know your schedule you can book these appointments in advance.
- Reintroduce all activities slowly
- Although gentle walking around is recommended after surgery, try to rest as much as possible for the first few days
- You may resume gentle activities after one week
- No exercise, straining, bending or any activity that causes a feeling of pressure in the face and eyes for at least two weeks
- Normal activities may be resumed after six weeks following clearance from your doctor
- Avoid swimming, hot tubs, or saunas for at least six weeks
- Cosmetic Injections: resumed after four weeks (not around eyes)
- Threads: resumed after three months
- Facial treatments: resumed after four weeks
MEDICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Unless otherwise stated, you will be provided with scripts for cephalexin, oxycodone, ondansetron & celecoxib. Paracetamol is bought over the counter
- ANTIBIOTIC: Cephalexin 500mg 4 times per day(every 6 hours) until finished
- PAIN RELIEF: Paracetamol 1000mg 4 times per day (every 6 hours)
- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: Celecoxib 200mg 2 times per day (every 12 hours)
- STRONG PAIN RELIEF: Oxycodone 5 or 10mg every 4 hours IF needed
- ANTI-NAUSEA: Ondansetron 4mg every 4 hours IF needed
- It is important to take the antibiotics as prescribed until finished to decrease risk of wound infection and implant rejection
- We recommend that you take paracetamol REGULARLY with the antibiotics for at least the first 5 days
- Paracetamol & Celecoxib work together in different ways to give you pain relief so it’s important to take them for this initial period, you can continue to take them for up to 10 days IF required
- Oxycodone is an opioid pain killer. You should take this type of medication ONLY if you have severe pain AFTER taking paracetamol & celecoxib
- Do NOT take the oxycodone on its own without taking regular paracetamol & celecoxib as they all work in different ways to control pain
- Oxycodone can cause constipation: ensure a high fibre diet with plenty of water. You may ask the pharmacist for a stool softener
- Oxycodone can impair your function (driving) when you first start taking it. If you don’t usually take oxycodone, please be aware this may affect you more
- Antibiotics and oxycodone may cause nausea. Take both with food. Don’t take these medications together (try to space out by 30mins or so). An ondansetron wafer may relief nausea
Long term use of Oxycodone (over 2 weeks) may lead to addiction & dependence Please DISCARD any unused oxycodone after 2 weeks – you can drop it into the chemist or clinic for proper disposal