Your Procedure

After you have made the decision to have surgery, we at Mode will guide you through how to prepare physically and psychologically for your surgery.

Before surgery:

• Dr Aggarwal will order any relevant investigations (such as blood tests or X-Rays). You may be required to attend pre-admission clinic at some hospitals for these tests such as Sydney Adventist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital or Prince of Wales Hospital.
• You will be instructed on which medications to stop before your surgery as they may increase the risk of bleeding. In general fish oil, supplements such as Gingko, Ginseng, and any other herbal supplements should be ceased well in advance of your surgery (2 weeks). If you are taking blood thinners such as aspirin, Plavix, Warfarin, or one of the newer antiplatelet agents (Prasugrel, Ticagrelor, Cangrelor, Abciximab, Tirofiban, Eptifibatide) be sure to inform Dr Aggarwal at the time of consultation so an individualised plan for your medications can be made prior to surgery.
• Smoking is problematic for any surgery but especially plastic surgery as it reduces blood flow to tissues, especially where flaps of skin are raised (e.g. facelift, tummy tuck etc). You should inform Dr Aggarwal of your smoking and discuss what period of abstinence is required for you to undergo your procedure safely.

• While Dr Aggarwal pays meticulous attention to detail during surgery, this is just as important as the care you provide after (and leading up to) your surgery.
• Dr Aggarwal will provide you with post operative instructions as part of your post operative package which will also include necessary scripts for antibiotics, pain relief etc, appointment card for your follow up, and instructions on how to contact Dr Aggarwal directly in the case of an emergency.

• If you have had a general anaesthetic or any sedation you will not be fit to drive or operate any heavy machinery for 24 hours
• In these scenarios you will be required to have someone with you to accompany you home and you will not be allowed to catch a taxi or Uber on your own.
• Only where you have had only a local anaesthetic in rooms, or in hospital, without sedation you will be able to drive yourself (or take yourself home in a taxi or Uber) .

• Dr Aggarwal will provide you with the necessary scripts for any medications including antibiotics (if applicable), and pain relief.
• You should avoid fish oil, and other supplements like Gingko, Ginseng and medications such as aspirin or nurofen as they promote bleeding for at 1-2 weeks after surgery.
• If you normally take blood thinners, Dr Aggarwal will provide you with instructions on when to recommence these medications.

• Yes – as wherever there is an incision made for surgery this will produce a scar long term.
• However Dr Aggarwal will ensure the scar is well placed and sutured meticulously to ensure it is as inconspicuous as possible.
• It is important to remember that scars will be pink and obvious for the first 4-6 weeks. Thereafter they slowly settle, aided by scar management, to fade into a thin white line in the ideal circumstances in 3 to 6 months.
• We routinely recommend a protocol of scar management to help achieve the best possible scar long term. (Click here to see the section on scar management.)
• However, it is important to note that a significant component of scarring long term is related to the genetic makeup of an individual. Scarring is worse in some skin types and also in some families. In addition it can also be worse in some areas such as the central chest, over the shoulder blade, and so on. Dr Aggarwal will discuss these with you when you are planning to have your surgery.

• This depends on the procedure that you are having.
• Most patients are able to return to routine activities in the first 1-2 weeks – the exception can be incisions near areas of tension (e.g. joints, areas of stretch) or the lower leg.
• Any skin incision takes approximately 2 weeks to heal – this means that we do not allow swimming in a pool or beach for the first 2 weeks though most patients can get their wounds wet under the shower after 48 hours.
• Certain operations where muscles have been tightened or elevated require a longer period of reduced activity: For example –
  • After a tummy tuck or DIEP flap breast reconstruction the tummy skin and fat layers need to adhere to the underlying fascia and muscles, and the fascia and muscle layers themselves need to heal. This takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks, over which period you will not be allowed to do any heavy lifting and wear a binder at all times. This is essential to prevent seromas (or fluid collections) after surgery in this area.
  • During a breast augmentation procedure the pectoralis muscle may have been elevated to insert implants under the muscle. In the early stages of healing it is imperative to avoid heavy upper body work for the first 6 weeks to prevent excessive activation of the pectoralis muscle which can displace the implants down and out.

After certain operations you will be asked to wear a surgical garment. These garments aim to reduce swelling and bruising, and in some cases reduce the occurrence of seromas (fluid collections).

• We maintain a close eye on our patients during the post-operative period.
• Standard follow up will generally be at 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year post procedure.