Recovering After Cosmetic Surgery
Reviewed by Varnada Karriem-Norwood on May 03, 2012
Sources
Robert Kotler, MD, FACS Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon of the Face and Neck Clinical instructor, Division of Head & Neck Surgery, UCLA Medical School.
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Video Transcript
Narrator: When should I use a professional clinic for my post-op recovery?
Robert Kotler, MD: I believe if one has a more invasive procedure, such as a major tummy tuck and a major face and neck lift, again these can be long operations, recovery in a professional facility trumps recovering at home. What they provide is a comforting, professionally administered post-operative sojourn. We provide the medications, they provide the tender loving care. And most importantly, they act as my eyes and ears, because when I call that facility at eight o'clock at night and again at 10 to check on the patient, talk to the nurse. She's telling me how they are doing, how's the pulse, how's the blood pressure, is there too much bruising, is there any discomfort? I mean these are signs that I may even have to go check them out, go down there and take a look.
Narrator: Is there an extra cost for that?
Robert Kotler, MD: There is. Basically the cost is built into the service. In other words, it's an outsourced cost if you will. I can tell you that a service like that runs around seven hundred dollars a night, seven fifty, something in that range. But you're getting your hotel service, by the way a round the clock kitchen, and it's special meals. They know what to do. And the nursing, and they even have a limo that brings the patient back and forth.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): So basically when the patient is dropped off at the surgery center in the morning, when it's time to go to the hide away, and that may be 3, 4, 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they have no worldly concerns. The family is off the hook because hey, Mrs. Smith is being picked up, taken there. They are going to look after her. They bring her back in the office in the morning.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): Sometimes a one night stay is required, sometimes a two night stay. And by the way, some patients elect to stay 3 or 4 nights if they feel like popping for that luxury, but typically, 1 or 2 nights is all they need.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): It's a great service. It is unique I think in communities where cosmetic surgery is done in large volume. I wouldn't expect to find that type of facility in a town of 200,00 people. It's just not likely.
Robert Kotler, MD: I believe if one has a more invasive procedure, such as a major tummy tuck and a major face and neck lift, again these can be long operations, recovery in a professional facility trumps recovering at home. What they provide is a comforting, professionally administered post-operative sojourn. We provide the medications, they provide the tender loving care. And most importantly, they act as my eyes and ears, because when I call that facility at eight o'clock at night and again at 10 to check on the patient, talk to the nurse. She's telling me how they are doing, how's the pulse, how's the blood pressure, is there too much bruising, is there any discomfort? I mean these are signs that I may even have to go check them out, go down there and take a look.
Narrator: Is there an extra cost for that?
Robert Kotler, MD: There is. Basically the cost is built into the service. In other words, it's an outsourced cost if you will. I can tell you that a service like that runs around seven hundred dollars a night, seven fifty, something in that range. But you're getting your hotel service, by the way a round the clock kitchen, and it's special meals. They know what to do. And the nursing, and they even have a limo that brings the patient back and forth.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): So basically when the patient is dropped off at the surgery center in the morning, when it's time to go to the hide away, and that may be 3, 4, 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they have no worldly concerns. The family is off the hook because hey, Mrs. Smith is being picked up, taken there. They are going to look after her. They bring her back in the office in the morning.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): Sometimes a one night stay is required, sometimes a two night stay. And by the way, some patients elect to stay 3 or 4 nights if they feel like popping for that luxury, but typically, 1 or 2 nights is all they need.
Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): It's a great service. It is unique I think in communities where cosmetic surgery is done in large volume. I wouldn't expect to find that type of facility in a town of 200,00 people. It's just not likely.