There are also many things you can do after your surgical procedure to ensure a quick and successful recovery.

Please ensure you have followed the important list of things to do before surgery, as well as this list.

• Take the pain medication as your surgeon has prescribed. Unnecessary discomfort does not help healing. Your surgeon is likely to ask you to not take any anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. aspirin or Nurofen) for the same reason you couldn’t take it before surgery – it can lead to bleeding.
• Your surgeon may have given you further instructions, such as icing the wound area. Icing reduces inflammation and swelling and can be an important part of the recovery process. A bag of frozen peas makes an excellent ice pack.
• If you’ve had surgery to your face or neck, you may need to keep your head elevated for 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.
• With the exception of incisions made inside the mouth, keep all dressings dry. Wash in the basin, not the shower. You may need to change some dressings or clean them by gently wiping them down with saline, whichever your surgeon recommends.
• Do not take bandages off prematurely, your surgeon will do this within a week of surgery.
• Apply a bruise-reduction cream such as arnica to the surrounding area a few times a day.
• Have your surgeon’s contact details handy in case you have any questions, start to feel sick or feel an unusual amount of pain. Your surgeon will be expecting you to do this.
• Adopt a positive attitude and have confidence that the outcome will be what you want.
• Monitor yourself over time and make an appointment with your surgeon if you notice anything unusual, such as bleeding from the incision sites, rapidly progressive swelling or tightness and tingling. Schedule routine follow up visits to make sure that you are healing correctly.