How to prepare for plastic surgery: a checklist

When should you start preparing for surgery?

About six weeks ahead is a sensible starting point. Most surgical plans ask you to stop nicotine 4–6 weeks before the operation, and the same weeks give you time to gather medical records, review your medicines and agree your travel dates.

Some decisions come earlier still. If you plan to lose a lot of weight or to have a baby, waiting is usually wiser, because later changes can undo the result. After major weight loss, surgeons commonly look for a stable weight for 3–6 months or longer before body contouring.

When should you stop smoking or vaping?

Stop all nicotine at least 4–6 weeks before surgery and stay off it while you heal. Before a rhinoplasty, a facelift or liposuction, 6 weeks is the usual minimum. That means vapes, patches and gum as well as cigarettes; if you rely on a nicotine replacement product to stop, ask whether it counts.

Nicotine reduces blood flow to the skin, slows healing and makes infection, skin loss and thick scars more likely. The World Health Organization reports fewer complications in people who stop at least 4 weeks before surgery. If you cannot stop, say so at your consultation: some operations, such as a facelift, are offered only once you have.

Which medicines and supplements need reviewing?

Send your surgeon a written list of everything you take, including the contraceptive pill, hormone replacement therapy, weight-loss injections, vitamins and herbal remedies. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

• Aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen are usually stopped 1–2 weeks or more before surgery, on your doctor's advice, because they increase bleeding.
• Supplements such as garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng and green tea can also increase bleeding.
• Blood thinners are changed only by the doctor who prescribed them.
• The contraceptive pill raises clot risk, so ask whether to pause it before extensive liposuction; some protocols also pause HRT a few weeks before.
• Mention GLP-1 weight-loss medicines such as semaglutide early: the anaesthetic team decides whether to pause them.
• Before a facelift or neck lift, get your blood pressure well controlled, as this lowers the risk of bleeding.

What health checks and records will you need?

Expect blood tests and a medical check before anaesthesia. Before breast surgery, Op. Dr. Bilgehan İlker asks for a mammogram if you are over 40, and other breast imaging may be requested depending on your age and history.

Tell your surgeon about any bleeding problems, sleep apnoea, earlier problems with anaesthesia and previous surgery on the same area, and bring the notes. If you have implants, find your implant card or operation note. Tell your own doctor (GP) about your plans too: an independent opinion is worth having.

Ask Dr. İlker a question

When should you arrive, and when can you fly home?

Arrive early enough for an unhurried in-person examination and tests before surgery day. For operations such as a rhinoplasty or facelift, UK guidance from BAAPS suggests arriving at least 72 hours before surgery if your travel time is four hours or more, with the examination at least 48 hours before. Some high-definition liposuction protocols leave 48–72 hours between a flight of eight hours or more and surgery.

Your return date depends on the operation and on a check-up before you leave. As a guide, flying is advised against for 5–7 days after breast surgery or liposuction and 7–10 days after facial surgery or a tummy tuck. After a Brazilian butt lift, the limit is long sitting, which is avoided for about two weeks. Your surgeon confirms the date.

Who should be with you after surgery?

Plan for an adult to take you back to your accommodation and stay with you: for the first night after most operations, the first 24 hours after a tummy tuck or Brazilian butt lift, and the first 48 hours after a facelift. Rest close to your accommodation rather than sightseeing.

If young children travel with you, decide who will look after them. After a mummy makeover, you will need help with lifting and carrying them for several weeks.

What should you pack?

• Loose, front-opening tops, so nothing has to go over your head after breast, face or ear surgery.
• Loose clothing that fits over a compression garment, and pads for fluid that can leak from liposuction incisions.
• Loose, high-waisted clothing after a tummy tuck, and a BBL cushion that keeps weight off the buttocks.
• Extra pillows to keep your head raised after facial surgery, and lip balm after nose surgery.
• Glasses instead of contact lenses, cold compresses and dark sunglasses for eyelid surgery.
• Your medicines list, test results, earlier operation notes and any implant details.

What should you do the day before surgery?

Follow the fasting instructions you are given exactly. Wash your hair the day before ear surgery, because it cannot be washed while the bandage is on. Before a facelift, colour or bleach your hair in advance, as fresh scars are sensitive to these chemicals for several weeks.

What should you have in writing before you travel?

A clear written plan matters as much as any packing list. NHS guidance advises asking in advance where check-ups will take place and whether further surgery would mean travelling back. Before you book, make sure you also know:

• Who performs the operation, in which hospital, and who gives the anaesthetic.
• Your dates for the examination, surgery, check-ups and the earliest flight home.
• What the plan includes, and what could add to it.
• Whom to contact once you are home, and what happens if there is a complication.