The operation is half the work. The other half is the follow-up, which is why all follow-up appointments are included in the price: I see you at every stage of your recovery, and you have a direct phone number for anything that comes up in between.
The follow-up appointments take place at my practice in Madrid, at Calle Conde de Aranda 15, and I carry them out myself. The surgeon who operated on you is the one who best knows what to look for.
| Follow-up appointments | All included in the price of the surgery. |
|---|---|
| Who and where | I carry them out myself, at Calle Conde de Aranda 15, Madrid. |
| Between appointments | Phone and WhatsApp, +34 722 77 10 78. |
What a post-operative check-up is and how many you will have
A post-operative check-up is the review your surgeon carries out after the operation, to check how you are healing and how the result is developing. You know the plan before surgery: we go over together which appointments you will have, and on the day you are discharged you leave with the date of the first one already set.
- Short-term appointments. These are in the first few weeks: I remove the stitches, change the dressings and check that the wound is closing well. The first is usually within the first week.
- Long-term appointments. Periodic check-ups to follow how the result is developing. Typically at one month, three months, six months and one year. If you or I see something that could be improved, that is when we discuss it, once the result has settled.
If you live outside Madrid, some of the long-term appointments can be done by video consultation. The specific dates for each operation are on its own page; those for rhinoplasty, for example, are in Rhinoplasty Recovery.
Follow-up appointments are included in the price
All post-operative check-ups are included in the price of the surgery. There are no extra costs after your operation and no surprises. There is no maximum number of visits: if you need me to see you once more, I will. Post-operative garments are also included when the operation requires them.
How to reach me between appointments
Between one appointment and the next you are not on your own: my team and I are available at any time after surgery. Call or send a WhatsApp message to +34 722 77 10 78. A photo is very helpful for assessing a wound or swelling from a distance.
I would rather have one call too many than one too few. If something worries you, do not wait until your next appointment.
Out of hours, if you think it is urgent, you can contact the emergency number we will give you at your pre-operative assessment.
Stopping for just long enough: how I approach recovery
I do not want you to put your life on hold for your recovery. I want to fit the recovery into a life that carries on. I do have to stop you for a while, but that break has to be just long enough: not a day less, for safety, and not a day more, out of fear. It is what I call Fast Recovery, and it is not a fad; it is evidence and clinical experience.
In consultation I explain it with two characters. Dr Fear says “don’t do anything, just in case”, and that “just in case” holds you back without any real medical reason. Dr Brave says “do everything now”, and going back to your usual pace after ten days is asking for trouble. The balance lies in between.
I can fine-tune that timeframe because I see you closely. Recommending a six-month break makes sense when the patient has surgery far from their surgeon and will not have close follow-up. With frequent check-ups, the timeframe is adjusted to how you heal, not to a generic calendar. What has caused me the most problems over the years has not been the patients who get moving again early, but those who stop completely for six months.
Surgery is a controlled trauma: you stop for a while and then you recover. For how long depends on the operation. After a breast augmentation, for example, the first month is for walking and gentle mobility, and from then on you return to exercise gradually; I explain it step by step in Plastic Surgery and Fitness. The timeframes for each operation are on its own page.
What is normal and when to call
Swelling, bruising, tightness and tiredness are normal, and improve a little every day. Call me the same day if the pain is increasing rather than easing, if an area swells suddenly or on one side only, if a wound bleeds and does not stop, if it is becoming redder and hotter or is discharging, or if you have a fever.
If you notice pain and swelling in one leg, or shortness of breath or chest pain, contact the emergency number we will give you at your pre-operative assessment. These situations are uncommon; I mention them because, when they do occur, what matters is acting quickly.
What depends on you
I do my part in theatre and at the follow-up appointments. The other part is yours. Nutrition is, together with rest and follow-up, one of the pillars of recovery, especially after body surgery:
- Enough protein, to heal and to avoid losing muscle while you are less active.
- Constant hydration.
- Fewer ultra-processed foods, less sugar and less alcohol in the first few weeks, because they promote inflammation.
- No aggressive dieting. In the first few days, eat well; there will be time to adjust later.
When this is done well, the result at six and twelve months is visibly better.
In addition: do not smoke, protect the operated area from the sun with factor 50 to avoid changes in pigmentation, shower with lukewarm water for the first few days, keep the wound clean and dry, take your medication as prescribed and come to every follow-up appointment, even when you already feel well.
Physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage after surgery
Post-operative physiotherapy helps you recover sooner and better from cosmetic surgery: it reduces inflammation and fluid build-up, eases discomfort, prevents the tissues from adhering, makes scars more supple and speeds up your return to normal life.
The technique of choice is manual lymphatic drainage. It is a massage using very gentle, slow, repetitive movements that stimulates lymphatic circulation and drains retained fluid. It does not hurt. I recommend it both in body surgery (liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation or reduction, mastopexy) and in facial surgery (blepharoplasty, facelift, rhinoplasty).
Each session lasts about 60 minutes and is carried out by a specialist physiotherapist. It starts when I give the go-ahead at your check-up, and the usual pattern is two or three sessions a week for three weeks; after that, depending on your progress.
And when you start moving again, the same applies: the first training sessions after surgery are, in essence, a physiotherapy session.
Scars: what I do and what you can do
All surgery leaves a scar, and it is permanent. Over time it becomes finer and paler. My part is to place it where it is least visible; where it goes in each operation is explained on its own page. Yours is the aftercare:
- Before surgery, moisturise the skin in the area two or three times a day in the weeks beforehand.
- Afterwards, moisturising creams with rosehip oil and regenerating creams, which keep the scar hydrated.
- Keep the scar out of the sun.
For the first two or three months the scar is pink, then it darkens, and between eight and twelve months it turns white. I explain this in detail in Discreet, Healthy Scars After Plastic Surgery.
The result takes time to show
In the first week you will see swelling and bruising, not the result. It is normal to look in the mirror in those days and have doubts. The best medicine is vitamin P: patience.
The final shape takes months, and in some operations, such as rhinoplasty, the result is not assessed until a year has passed. That is why the follow-up appointments do not end when the stitches come out.
Frequently asked questions about recovery and follow-up
What is a post-operative check-up?
It is the review your surgeon carries out after the operation to check how you are healing and how the result is developing. At my practice I carry them out myself and they are included in the price of the surgery.
How many follow-up appointments are there after plastic surgery?
There are short-term appointments, to remove stitches and change dressings, and long-term ones, to follow the result. Typically I see you in the first week, at one month, three months, six months and one year. The number and frequency of appointments may vary from case to case.
Are follow-up appointments charged separately?
No. All post-operative check-ups are included in the price of the surgery.
Who do I contact if I have a question after my operation?
My team and I are available at any time after surgery. You can call or send a WhatsApp message to +34 722 77 10 78.
When can I exercise again after surgery?
It depends on the operation. After a breast augmentation, from the end of the first month and gradually, starting at half your usual load. After a rhinoplasty, light exercise from the third week, building up until the fifth. The exact guidance is adjusted at your follow-up appointments.
Do I need physiotherapy after cosmetic surgery?
For many operations I recommend manual lymphatic drainage, which reduces swelling and speeds up recovery. The usual pattern is two or three sessions a week for three weeks, once I give the go-ahead at your check-up.
How long does it take to see the final result?
Months. Swelling goes down slowly and what you see at one month is not the final result. In a rhinoplasty, for example, it is assessed at one year.
How do I look after my scar after surgery?
Moisturising, rosehip creams once the wound has closed, and no sun. The scar is pink for two or three months and turns white between eight and twelve.
If you want to know what your recovery would be like
Every operation and every patient has its own timeframe. At the first consultation I tell you what yours would be like: how long you would need to stop, when you would be back at work and which follow-up appointments you would have. Book by phone or WhatsApp on +34 722 77 10 78.
What that visit is like is explained in The First Consultation.