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| Laser Resurfacing: Preparing for Surgery |
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More extensive laser surgery, as with any other surgical procedure, requires you to be in good health. Your doctor will take your health history and you may require a routine physical exam. You will be advised of any special things to avoid or do. Your doctor may prescribe medications to take prior to surgery to prevent a bacterial infection or outbreak of fever blisters (herpes simplex) and topical medications that help to prepare your skin for the procedure and decrease the risk of post-operative pigmentation changes.
Here are a few general guidelines that you’ll probably be asked to follow:
Don’t take aspirin or any drugs containing aspirin for at least two weeks before surgery. Aspirin can interfere with normal blood clotting.
Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. Your stomach needs to be completely empty when undergoing anesthesia or sedation.
Avoid drinking alcohol a few days prior to surgery.
If you smoke, stop smoking at least a week before your procedure and for at least a week afterward. Smoking decreases blood circulation in the skin and impedes healing.
Wear a something loose that opens in the front. You don’t want to put on anything that goes over your head after the procedure.
Arrange for someone to drive you home if you will be given sedatives.
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