Many patients have questions about what will happen to them after surgery. While each surgeon has very different postoperative instructions, the following information is a general guideline. Always follow the instructions given to you by your physician.

When your surgery is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room. Here, nurses will monitor you to make sure you are emerging safely from anesthesia, and they will provide you with pain and nausea medication as needed. At this point, you will become aware of your surroundings and begin remembering events. Your surgeon will probably speak with you, but often you will not remember the conversation due to the lingering effects of the anesthesia. When you have completely and safely emerged from anesthesia, you will be sent home or back to your room for an overnight stay at the facility.

When you are discharged, you will be given specific postoperative instructions. These instructions will vary by surgeon and type of procedure. Depending on the type of procedure, you may have surgical drains in place. You will be given instructions on how to care for the drains. Generally, these are removed in one to three weeks. In addition to your instructions, you will be given prescriptions for medications. Some surgeons will give these prescriptions to their patients before surgery. These medications include pain pills and antibiotics, but some surgeons prescribe additional medications.

You will see your surgeon within the first week of your surgery. If you have questions or concerns after your surgery but before your scheduled visit, you should call your doctor's office. After your first appointment, you will have regularly scheduled appointments until you have healed to your satisfaction and the satisfaction of the surgeon. Some procedures will require yearly follow-up. Again, these are general guidelines and they will vary considerably depending on the surgeon and the procedure.

Post-operative Emotional Considerations
The decision to have plastic surgery is a very emotional one and this is magnified in the post-operative period. Most women, even after making the decision to have plastic surgery, are still unsure if they are making the right decision. Immediately after surgery, patients can experience pain, nausea, bruising and swelling. In general, they do not feel like themselves and they even look and feel disfigured. In this early period, it is very common for patients to question if they made the right decision to have plastic surgery and they may feel depressed. This is typical and temporary. Feelings of doubt and depression may last from days to weeks. As the pain diminishes, the swelling goes down, and the bruising resolves, you will begin to feel like yourself again and the feelings of doubt and depression usually fade. As you begin to see the "new you" emerge, you will begin to feel joy again and you will rediscover why you made the decision to have surgery.

There is another issue that patients often face after having plastic surgery; adjusting to a new face or body. Sometimes, it is not easy to get comfortable with the "new you." Adjusting to your new appearance, whether it is a contour to your nose, a more youthful face or an improved figure can sometimes take months. Again, this is normal and to be expected. Each patient becomes accustomed to their surgical changes at a different rate of adjustment.

To read more about actual patient experiences, click here.

• Before and After Photo Gallery