FAQ

Detailed information on preparing for a specific procedure can be found in the tab for that procedure.


Necessary tests confirming general good health.
General health must be good. Chronic diseases may coexist, but they must be well-controlled, and an opinion from the treating physician is required stating that the disease does not contraindicate the surgery.

Test results and consultations must be submitted to the clinic's secretariat 14 days before the scheduled procedure (via email or fax);

1. Blood type (every procedure carries the risk of needing a blood transfusion)
2. Complete blood count (CBC) + smear
3. ESR or CRP (can detect inflammation in the human body that has no symptoms);
4. APTT, INR (blood clotting system)
5. Sodium, Potassium
6. Glucose (to detect possible hidden diabetes)
7. Creatinine (assessment of kidney function)
8. HBsAg, HCV Ab, (HIV at patient's request) (to identify patients who may be infectious to others)
9. Urinalysis
10. Chest X-ray (as a screening test for lung diseases, it is worth performing every few years even if there are no lung symptoms);
11. ECG (important for patients over 40 years of age, as cardiovascular diseases begin to appear at this time);
12. Breast ultrasound and/or mammography (before any breast procedure)

Other tests depending on the patient's health condition;

1. For a procedure under general anesthesia, you must report 6 hours fasting;
2. Before arriving at the clinic, take a shower, wash your hair, remove makeup, remove nail polish, do not apply any cosmetics to your body;
3. Surgery is forbidden during pregnancy. For certainty, a pregnancy test is recommended just before the operation;
4. It is not advisable to perform the procedure during menstruation and just before (mainly breast operations);
5. The procedure must not be performed during an infection (sick tooth, cold, herpes, etc.);
6. Before the procedure, you should discontinue: 1. Dietary supplements 1 month before (they have an unpredictable effect on blood clotting and anesthesia); 2. Blood thinners (drugs with acetylsalicylic acid, e.g., Aspirin, 2 weeks before); 3. Blood clotting enhancers (most often these are contraceptive drugs);
7. Chronically used medications for co-existing diseases (e.g., arterial hypertension, hypothyroidism) should be taken continuously (they must not be discontinued on your own before surgery);
8. Leaving the clinic is recommended in the company of an accompanying person;
9. After a procedure under general anesthesia, it is necessary to stay in the clinic for several hours – discharge at the doctor's discretion; It is recommended to stay in the clinic until the next day;
10. On the day of the procedure, driving a car or operating machinery is not advisable;
11. Adhering to the above recommendations reduces the risk of surgery.

Before every operation assisted by an anesthesiologist, an anesthesiological consultation is required. The anesthesiologist assesses and weighs the risks associated with surgery under general anesthesia and makes the final decision on the possibility of performing general anesthesia in a given specific case.

Risks associated with general anesthesia:

Side effects and complications associated with a procedure under general anesthesia: they can be divided into very common (1 in 10); common (1 in 100); rare (1 in 1,000); very rare (1 in 10,000) and exceptionally rare (1 in 100,000);

Very common and common: 1. Nausea and vomiting (may be caused by medications; usually relieved by antiemetics, may last several hours; or even several days); 2. Sore throat (results from the presence of an intubation tube during surgery; lasts several hours to several days; is relieved by lozenges and gargles); 3. Confusion, visual disturbances (may result from the action of anesthetic drugs; may last several hours); 4. Chills (may be a result of body cooling during surgery, stress, and certain medications); 5. Headache (may result from the procedure itself, medications, stress, dehydration; usually subsides after several hours; responds well to typical painkillers; if persistent, requires further diagnosis and treatment); 6. Itching (may be a reaction to painkillers, e.g., morphine; may be a reaction to sutures, disinfectants; itching subsides after using other medications); 7. Pain in an area other than the operated one (usually in an area where pain previously occurred, e.g., back pain; this may result from prolonged immobile lying on a hard operating table); 8. Pain at the injection site (intramuscular and intravenous drug injection may cause pain in this area); 9. Bruising, swelling, and tenderness at injection sites; 10. Confusion/memory loss – this is a common symptom in older people (usually temporary but can also last several days or weeks);

Rare side effects and complications associated with general anesthesia: 1. Respiratory tract infection leading to respiratory failure (occurs more frequently in smokers and patients with lung diseases, e.g., asthma); 2. Bladder problems (urination problems sometimes occur after general anesthesia; sometimes this requires bladder catheterization); 3. Respiratory depression (too shallow breathing caused by the action of anesthetic or pain medications); 4. Damage to a tooth, lip, or tongue during intubation (occurs during difficult intubations in cases of jaw joint stiffness, short and stiff neck, or other anatomical obstructions); 5. Worsening of chronic diseases that the patient had before surgery (the anesthesiologist should be informed about all current and past diseases before surgery; these diseases must be well controlled; the most common are: arterial hypertension, heart diseases, strokes, diabetes, thyroid diseases); 6. Awareness during the procedure (patients usually remember the period just before and just after the completed procedure – this is normal; it sometimes happens that patients claim to remember something from the operation itself); 7. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (any procedure under general anesthesia lasting over 2 hours, associated with bed immobilization, especially in older people, is associated with a higher risk of venous thrombosis; this can be limited by prophylactic administration of anticoagulants, but these drugs increase the risk of complications in the form of hematoma, which in plastic surgery can negate the outcome of the operation, so the use of these drugs is not routine but should be individualized);

Very rare and exceptionally rare side effects and complications associated with general anesthesia: 1. Eye globe damage (during the procedure, special care is taken to protect the eye – special drops, taping with plasters, but there is a possibility of disinfectant leaking into the eye, which will cause corneal irritation; treatment involves eye drops); 2. Severe drug allergy (exceptionally rarely, very severe allergic reactions occur, which can even lead to death; all allergies should be reported before the procedure); 3. Nerve damage (paresis or sensory disturbance) can occur during regional anesthesia (administering drugs with a needle near a nerve or as a result of chronic pressure during surgery); symptoms usually resolve spontaneously within several weeks or months; 4. Death due to general anesthesia – it is estimated that in the UK these are single cases per million operations – the reason is the simultaneous occurrence of several complications; 5. Anesthetic equipment failure.

The appearance of the scar improves for at least 1 year after the procedure; eventually, the scar becomes pale and loses its pink color, before that it becomes soft, elastic, and achieves the level and texture of the surrounding tissues.

Wound and scar care:

Do not use any scar ointments until the stitches are removed;

After removing the stitches, lubricate the scar for about 1 week (2x daily Dermosan, Linomag, Alantan or another neutral ointment bought at the pharmacy);

Do not apply makeup to the scar until the wound is fully healed – in practice, this is about 1 week after stitch removal. When there is no scab left along the scar.

After a week of lubrication, silicone ointments for a minimum of 2 months or silicone patches if they can be applied;

In some cases, other scar ointments depending on the local condition;

The scar should be protected from UV radiation for a minimum of 1 year from the healing of the wounds;

In case of hypertrophic scar or keloid formation – see scar correction