Despite positive news that complications don’t necessarily increase with high BMI, it’s still crucial for plastic surgeons to prioritize safety when dealing with plus-sized patients.
Here’s how Dr. Nick Masri prioritizes your well-being:
Conduct Pre-Operative Assessments
Before jumping into any body contouring surgery, there are a few things doctors need to check off their list.
First, they need to take a good look at your medical history and give you a thorough exam. This helps them identify any underlying health conditions or nutritional deficiencies that might need attention before surgery.
They’ll also conduct some blood tests to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. Things like anemia, protein levels, and vitamins are important for wound healing, and sometimes plastic surgery can affect these. If anything’s a little low, they can fix it up before surgery so your body heals smoothly.
Employ Safe Perioperative Practices
Movement can be tricky for overweight and obese patients, so positioning them comfortably and safely is important to avoid any nerve pinches.
Surgeons might use a combination of different positions depending on which area they’re working on, like lying on your back, front, or side. They might use special equipment, like a reinforced operating table with extra padding to make sure every part of the body is supported during surgery.
Another thing doctors keep a close eye on is blood clots. Since they’re a bigger concern with higher weight, they might recommend compression stockings and even consider blood thinners to keep things flowing smoothly.
Work With Experienced Anesthesiologists
It’s critical to work with anesthesiologists who are experienced enough in dealing with high BMI patients.
Sometimes, a plus-sized patient’s airway might be positioned differently, making it trickier to put them to sleep safely. Anesthesiologists might need to use specialized tools like a fiberoptic scope to make sure everything’s clear.
There’s also a slightly higher risk of aspiration during surgery — you might accidentally inhale some stomach contents. To prevent that, doctors may use a nasogastric tube and keep your head elevated a bit during surgery.
Also, figuring out where to put your IV is important. Surgeons need easy access for fluids and medications, and depending on where your surgery is happening, some limbs might be off-limits.
In some cases, experienced anesthesiologists might use a central line, which is a special IV that goes into a larger vein in your chest.
Provide Post-Operative Care
As mentioned above, one of the most important things to avoid post-op are blood clots. These can be a risk after surgery, especially for people who’ve had weight loss surgery.
So, patients are advised to keep wearing special compression stockings and maybe even continue some medication to help prevent clots.
Since you’ll be feeling a bit sore after surgery, your surgeon will make sure you have good pain control so you can start moving around and doing some deep breathing exercises as soon as possible. This helps prevent other problems like pneumonia.
They can also use different tools to manage your pain, like special pain pumps or numbing injections.