Your Surgical Experience

As an Arkansas Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Sloan and his staff recognize the natural anxiety that most patients experience as the day of surgery approaches. Hopefully an explanation of what to expect will alleviate some of this anxiety. Although we do this every day and it is routine for us, we realize that this is a major life event for you. We promise to do everything we can to put you at ease.

About two weeks prior to surgery you will come to our office for a pre-operative appointment. At that time my staff will go over detailed instructions of what you need to do before and after surgery. We will take photos and you will receive your prescriptions. We ask that you stop smoking (if you are a smoker) and avoid the use of medications that may increase the risk of bleeding (aspirin, etc.). You will be given a list of these drugs. Drug reactions between herbs and the medications used during surgery are not well known. For your safety do not use any herb or dietary supplement for two weeks before and after surgery. You will also be given instructions that help reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs.

You will be instructed to not eat anything after midnight the night before surgery. You will arrive at the Surgery Center one hour before your scheduled surgery time. You must arrange for someone to drive you home from the surgery center and remain with you the first night because you will have had a general anesthetic.

Your surgery will be performed at an accredited outpatient surgical facility. The surgical team includes a board certified plastic surgeon, a board certified anesthesiologist, a certified operating room technician, and a registered nurse. All of us have many years of experience in the operating room.

After you arrive at the Surgery Center, you will be escorted to a private room where you will change into a gown. Dr. Sloan, the anesthesiologist, and the nurse will then meet with you. Dr. Sloan will confirm the surgical plan with you, mark your skin if needed, and answer any last minute questions. An IV will be started and sedation administered. Most patients are unable to recall events of the day after sedation is given.

You will be taken to the operating suite on a stretcher and transferred to the operating table. Sophisticated monitoring devices will be connected to you and anesthesia administered. Dr. Sloan will then proceed with surgery. A breast augmentation typically takes 40 minutes to perform and you are under anesthesia for less than an hour. When surgery is over, a small piece of tape is placed over each incision and you will be taken to the recovery room. Your vital signs are constantly monitored. A specially trained recovery room nurse will take care of you and remain with you at all times. Your stay in the recovery room will last perhaps another hour. You will then get dressed and be discharged to home.

ANESTHESIA

Many patients have an instinctive fear of general anesthesia. When general anesthesia is used, you will be sound asleep and under the care of your anesthesiologist throughout the operation. Extremely sensitive monitors used during surgery have greatly reduced the risks of anesthesia. A minute change in the oxygen level in your blood, in the amount of carbon dioxide you breathe out, in the percentage of anesthetic gas being administered, in your heart rate, or in your blood pressure would be reported immediately. Most complications of anesthesia in the past have occurred because of “simple” problems that were not recognized quickly enough. The sophisticated monitoring now used makes recognition and treatment of problems with anesthesia immediate and much safer than in the past. The anesthesia and monitoring equipment is routinely maintained and is of the same quality as the equipment in any major hospital.

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