Tipes

The Side Effects of Plastic Surgery

Published

2 years ago

July 19, 2022

The concept of plastic surgery is typically perceived as glamorous, as many of the rich and famous undergo plastic surgery to look forever young. Despite this, undergoing plastic surgery might not be all the glitz and glamour that it appears to be, as there are various side effects that one can experience upon receiving certain procedures. No amount of pharma printing detailing the potential side effects can quite prepare you for what lies ahead when undergoing plastic surgery. Anyone considering plastic surgery should do so with the potential side effects in the forefront of their minds. Listed below are some of the most common that may arise.

Anaesthesia Side Effects

Typically speaking, when undergoing plastic surgery, you’ll be put under a general anaesthesia. In fact, as many as 30% of people find this more worrying than the surgery itself. Despite this, the side effects of anaesthesia only tend to last a couple of hours after the surgery, so they don’t need to be too much of a concern. Adverse side effects are rare; however, they can happen. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry yourself sick about them, but you should be aware that they could happen. Adverse side effects include being very emotional, confusion, nausea/being sick, and more.

Numbness or Pain

Depending on the procedure being done, feelings of numbness and pain in the affected area is common. Procedures that are likely to cause pain or numbness include breast augmentations, tummy tucks, liposuctions, and nose jobs. Some surgeons will offer you some advice regarding pain management techniques for such; however, if you need painkillers, make sure you enquire about what you’re allowed to take. Never take any form of medication unless it has been approved by your surgeon. In addition to numbness and pain, you may experience limited mobility, and might be asked to refrain from moving too much.

Scars

Another common side effect of plastic surgery is scarring; however, if your surgeon is skilled enough, these scars should fade with time. Despite this, if anything goes wrong, you may end up with a wound that doesn’t heal properly and ultimately scars you for life. For example, breast augmentations can lead to capsular contracture, which is the tight formation of scar tissue, and it results in discomfort. Alternatively, you could end up with hypertrophic scarring, which creates itchy and even painful elevated scars.

Bleeding

As plastic surgery is just that, surgery, it would be wrong to assume that a little blood is normal; however, an excessive amount of bleeding can be life threatening. Therefore, you should always be on the look out for signs of internal bleeding after surgery. These signs include swelling or tightness of the abdomen, extreme thirst, clammy or pale skin, nausea, vomiting, and pain at the site of surgery. Internal bleeding is a medical emergency so, if you suspect you have such, you should call for an ambulance immediately.

Infection

A good surgeon will take every measure possible before, during, and after surgery to reduce the risk of infection. Despite this, you can never eliminate the risk 100%, meaning that it can still cause a problem. Bacteria is the primary cause of infection, meaning that it’s vital that all aftercare is followed correctly to minimise the risk even further. The severity of infection will determine the next steps; in some cases, it will heal on its own – otherwise, it might require further treatment.

Nerve Damage

Nerve damage can occur for breast augmentations, causing women to lese sensation in their nipples. Despite this, this isn’t very common and, in many cases, is temporary.