Before Surgery

Our staff will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and medications. If you smoke, he will ask you to quit for at least two weeks before and after your surgery, since smoking may have an effect on how well you heal. You must stop all anticoagulant medications and herbal preparations like aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, gingko, garlic or ginseng 10 days before surgery. You may be required to take antibiotics to prevent infection. You should shampoo your hair the night before surgery.

With local anesthesia in our office OR... 

The most common permanent augmentation we do in our office OR is Advanta---to the lips and nasolabial folds.  Local anesthesia is sufficient for these procedures.  We will prescribe something for your nerves if you think it is necessary.  The pain is minimal, usually only the pain of the injection of the local anesthetic.

With intravenous sedation or general anesthesia...

Most permanent chin and cheek augmentations are done under general anesthesia or intravenous sedation as an outpatient in the Day Surgery Unit.   They are done as independent procedures or along with other procedures like rhinoplasty and various forms of facelifts and minilifts.

After Surgery-what to expect

Pain is mild to moderate, well controlled with medication.  Bruising and swelling are common.  The amount of bruising, swelling and pain depends on the location of the implant and how much other surgery was done at the same time.  Complications are rare but can include persistent swelling for a few weeks, bleeding, infection and persistent numbness