Reducing the Risk of Infection after Facial Plastic Surgery By Peter Brownrigg on May 11, 2017

When you have your facial plastic surgery performed by Dr. Peter Brownrigg, you will have the assurance of knowing that you are entrusting your procedure to one of the most skilled and trusted plastic surgeons in the field. Dr. Brownrigg is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than three decades of experience who focuses his practice exclusively on surgery of the face and neck. He customizes each procedure he performs to the unique needs and goals of the individual patient, placing nothing above his or her comfort, safety, and overall satisfaction.

Even when performed by a plastic surgeon with Dr. Brownrigg’s experience and talent, every facial plastic surgery procedure, as with all forms of surgery, is associated with some risks. One potential risk of facial plastic surgery is post-surgical infection. Fortunately, the risk of infection after surgery is relatively small, occurring in less than 1 percent of all patients. Dr. Brownrigg helps to further minimize this risk by discussing ways to reduce the odds of infection after facial plastic surgery during consultations at his Ottawa, ON practice.

Are you interested in undergoing facial plastic surgery to rejuvenate your appearance? If so, we encourage you to contact the practice of acclaimed plastic surgeon Peter Brownrigg today.

How to Lower the Risk of Infection after Facial Plastic Surgery

First, it is important to note that Dr. Brownrigg screens his patients very carefully to ensure that they are good candidates for facial plastic surgery. Patients with certain vascular conditions and diabetic patients whose blood glucose levels are not well controlled may not be considered suitable candidates for facial plastic surgery due to the fact that they are more prone to infections and other complications during the post-surgical recovery phase.

Patients who smoke will be required to cease smoking in the weeks leading up to and in the weeks following their facial plastic surgery. Smoking can significantly hamper the healing process and dramatically increase the risk of infection. Patients who are unwilling to quit smoking for at least this period of time will most likely not be considered good candidates for facial plastic surgery.

Other ways to lower the risk of infection after facial plastic surgery include:

Taking all prescribed antibiotics precisely as advised.
Following all pre- and post-surgical instructions provided to you by Dr. Brownrigg to the absolute letter. In many cases in which patients experience post-surgical complications, it can be attributed to the fact that they strayed from their pre- or post-surgical instructions.
Being fully aware of the signs of infection so that any potential infections can be diagnosed and treated in their earliest possible stages. These signs include high fever; redness, warmth, or hardening of the skin at the incision site; foul odor or a yellow or green discharge from the incision; and increased pain at the incision site.

Learn More about How to Reduce the Risk of Infection after Facial Plastic Surgery

To learn more about how you can reduce the risk of infection after facial plastic surgery, please contact the plastic surgery practice of Dr. Peter Brownrigg today.