Choosing a procedure and scheduling a date are only two parts of cosmetic surgery preparation. Your safety and results may be influenced by your health, expectations, recovery plan, and home environment. Careful preparation may reduce the risk of infection, bleeding, blood clots, poor wound healing, and anesthesia problems.
Patients can use this guide to learn how cosmetic surgery preparation generally works in Canada. It provides general information for procedures such as breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck, liposuction, facelift, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty. Your plastic surgeon’s instructions should always take priority because every patient and procedure is different.
Start by Choosing a Qualified Plastic Surgeon
Clinic titles and advertising terms can sometimes cause confusion. In Canada, “cosmetic surgeon” does not always mean the doctor is a certified specialist in plastic surgery. A surgeon’s licence, education, experience, and professional record should be checked before an operation is booked.
A Canadian plastic surgeon may hold certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and use the FRCSC designation. Patients in Quebec can confirm specialist certification with the Collège des médecins du Québec. To verify a physician’s licence and check for public restrictions or disciplinary findings, search the College of Physicians and Surgeons for your province or territory.
Use your consultation to ask the following questions:
- Are you certified as a specialist in plastic surgery?
- How frequently do you complete this specific procedure?
- Which surgical facility will be used for my procedure?
- Has the surgical facility been properly inspected or accredited under provincial rules?
- Who will provide my anesthesia, and what are their qualifications?
- What complication rate and revision rate do you have for this procedure?
- If an emergency occurs, do you have hospital admitting privileges or a formal transfer plan?
- What after-hours care is available if I experience a problem?
Be careful with guarantees, limited-time discounts, or pressure to add procedures. Perfect results and a completely risk-free recovery cannot be promised by an ethical surgeon.
Is Cosmetic Surgery the Right Choice for You?
A suitable candidate is generally in stable physical health, understands the risks, and has a clear personal reason for seeking surgery. Although surgery may alter a physical feature, it cannot promise happiness, confidence, professional success, or relationship improvement.
Describe the specific change you want and ask what the procedure can realistically achieve. Final results depend partly on your anatomy, skin, age, health history, scars, and individual response to healing. While before-and-after photographs may help explain possible results, they cannot predict your exact outcome.
Consider Your Emotional Readiness
Surgery should not be chosen quickly because of a personal crisis or another person’s desire for you to change. Your surgeon should know about any history of depression, anxiety, body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders, or related mental health concerns. This information is relevant to your care and should not be treated as a reason for embarrassment.
You may benefit from more time or support if you constantly focus on a minor or imagined flaw, expect surgery to solve several areas of your life, or have had repeated procedures without feeling satisfied. A responsible surgeon may recommend delaying surgery when expectations and likely results do not match.
Provide an Accurate Health History
To assess your risk safely, the plastic surgeon and anesthesia provider need a complete and truthful medical history. Do not hide a condition or substance use because you fear the operation will be cancelled. Incomplete disclosure can increase risks related to anesthesia, pain control, and post-operative recovery.
Disclose the following to your care team:
- Heart, lung, kidney, liver, or bleeding conditions
- A history of hypertension, diabetes, anemia, or sleep apnea
- Past deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or another clotting disorder
- Medication, adhesive, latex, or surgical skin preparation allergies
- Any history of anesthesia reactions, serious nausea, or airway intubation difficulty
- Your surgical history, implanted devices, and tendency to develop raised or abnormal scars
- Current illness, infected teeth, skin rashes, or unhealed wounds
- Pregnancy, possible pregnancy, breastfeeding, or plans for pregnancy
- All prescription drugs, non-prescription medicines, vitamins, supplements, and natural health products
- Your use of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, opioids, or other substances
Depending on your needs, you may be asked to complete blood tests, diagnostic imaging, an electrocardiogram, a pregnancy test, or a medical consultation. The tests ordered will depend on factors such as your age, health, operation, and planned anesthesia. Arrange all required testing in time for the results to be reviewed before surgery.
Review All Medications and Supplements
Prepare a written list of everything you take. For each item, record its name, dose, purpose, and frequency of use. Your surgeon should receive this list during the consultation and pre-operative assessment.
Bleeding, blood pressure, glucose control, clot formation, sedation, and wound healing can all be affected by some drugs and supplements. These may include anticoagulants, aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, diabetes treatments, hormone therapy, birth control, weight-loss medications, copyrights, and certain natural health products.
GLP-1 drugs used to manage diabetes or body weight should be specifically reviewed before surgery. These drugs can affect how quickly the stomach empties, which may change anesthesia and fasting plans. Instructions can vary based on the medication, dose, symptoms, and type of procedure.
A prescribed drug should never be stopped based only on your own decision. Suddenly stopping a blood thinner, seizure medicine, copyright, antidepressant, or heart medication can be dangerous. When medication changes are required, the surgeon, anesthesia provider, and prescribing health professional should coordinate the plan.
Stop Smoking, Vaping, and Using Nicotine
By narrowing blood vessels, nicotine limits the oxygen that reaches tissue during healing. As a result, nicotine can raise the risk of infection, skin loss, wounds opening, slow healing, and more visible scars. Nicotine is a particular concern for tissue-tightening or tissue-moving procedures such as facelifts, breast lifts, breast reductions, and tummy tucks.
Nicotine exposure can come from cigarettes, cigars, vapes, chewing tobacco, pouches, gum, or patches. Vaping should not be treated as a safe option during surgical preparation. Ask your surgeon when you must stop and whether nicotine replacement is appropriate. Many surgeons require patients to be nicotine-free for several weeks before and after an operation and may use nicotine testing.
When possible, stay away from environments where you may inhale second-hand smoke. For help quitting, contact your family physician, pharmacist, or a provincial smoking cessation program long before surgery.
Talk Honestly About Cannabis, Alcohol, and Drugs
Cannabis is legal in Canada, but that does not make it harmless around surgery. The airway can be irritated by smoking or vaping cannabis. Regular use may also change anesthesia, nausea control, heart rate, and pain medication needs. You should also disclose cannabis edibles and medically prescribed cannabis.
Your anesthesia provider needs to know the type of cannabis, your frequency of use, and the time of your last dose. Stop cannabis according to the timeline provided by your clinic. Never come to the surgical facility while impaired by cannabis or another substance.
Drinking alcohol around surgery may contribute to dehydration, bleeding, withdrawal, or dangerous medication interactions. If you drink heavily or frequently, disclose it because withdrawal may need to be medically managed. Recreational substances, including copyright, methamphetamine, and non-prescribed opioids, may lead to severe problems with anesthesia. This information is requested for your safety and not for judgment.
Improve Your Physical Readiness Before Surgery
Aim for a Stable Weight
Losing a large amount of weight after body-contouring surgery may alter the outcome. Weight gain can also stretch tissue and affect scars. It may be best to delay surgery until after major weight loss and a period of weight stability.
Do not start a crash diet. Severe calorie restriction can reduce the protein, iron, and other nutrients needed for healing. If you have had bariatric surgery or have a history of anemia, ask whether additional nutritional testing is needed.
Choose Foods That Promote Healing
Support your health with regular meals, good hydration, protein, produce, and whole-grain foods. To help repair tissue, obtain protein from sources including eggs, fish, poultry, dairy products, beans, lentils, or tofu. If a health condition such as diabetes, kidney disease, or food allergy affects your diet, follow advice from your clinician.
Avoid high-dose vitamins and products marketed for healing unless your care team has approved them. Natural does not always mean safe, and some products can increase bleeding or interact with anesthesia.
Stay Active Within Your Limits
Appropriate exercise, including regular walking, may improve physical readiness and support heart and lung function. It also helps you practise a routine that may be used during recovery to reduce stiffness and blood clot risk. Ask for guidance if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, limited mobility, or a medical condition that affects exercise.
Know What the Surgery and Recovery Involve
Informed consent should involve a meaningful conversation as well as written paperwork. You should understand the planned operation, anesthesia, incision locations, scars, alternatives, expected benefits, and possible complications.
Although each operation has different risks, complications can include:
- Bleeding, hematoma, or the need for urgent surgery
- Infection or delayed wound healing
- Deep vein thrombosis or a clot that travels to the lungs
- Seroma formation or fluid gathering under the skin
- Temporary or lasting numbness, altered nerves, or ongoing pain
- Thick, wide, dark, raised, or uneven scars
- Uneven appearance, contour irregularity, or disappointment with the result
- Capsular contracture, implant rupture, or another implant concern
- A reaction to anesthesia or difficulty breathing
- The need for revision surgery
Your surgeon should explain the best plastic surgery expected duration of swelling and bruising and when results become meaningful. During early healing, swelling may temporarily create asymmetry or make an area appear too large. It can take weeks or months for tissues to settle after facial, breast, or body-contouring surgery.
Organize Your Cosmetic Surgery Recovery
You may need greater assistance than expected in the early stage of recovery. Arrange your support before surgery, especially if you live alone, care for children, or have limited mobility.
- Choose a responsible adult to drive or accompany you home. Sedation and general anesthesia make it unsafe for you to drive yourself home.
- Your clinic may require someone to supervise you after surgery, commonly for at least the first night.
- Plan for someone else to handle children, pets, groceries, cleaning, and other household responsibilities.
- Determine the expected restrictions on employment, school, exercise, and operating a vehicle.
- Prepare simple meals and place everyday items between waist and shoulder height.
- Have all authorized medications, wound supplies, and compression garments ready before your operation.
- Store both regular and emergency clinic contact details in an accessible place.
Patients travelling to another Canadian community for surgery should stay close enough to attend scheduled follow-up care. After some operations, extended flights or car journeys can add to the risk of blood clots. Ask when travel is safe and how complications will be managed once you return home.
Set Up a Comfortable Recovery Area
Create a clean, comfortable area with water, medications, a thermometer, a phone charger, and the supplies approved by your clinic. If your sleeping position must remain elevated, extra pillows or an approved wedge may be useful.
Confirm the correct size and type before purchasing a compression garment. Excessive compression may lead to discomfort, skin damage, or reduced circulation.
Plan for the Full Cost of Cosmetic Surgery
In Canada, patients usually pay privately for elective cosmetic procedures. Medically required or reconstructive operations may be treated differently and can require advance funding approval.
Your written surgical quote should identify:
- The fees charged by the surgeon, anesthesia provider, and surgical facility
- Implant, garment, medication, and laboratory costs
- Applicable taxes and payment terms
- The follow-up care covered by the quoted price
- Rules for cancelling, rescheduling, or receiving a refund
- Costs related to revisions or treatment of complications
Remember to calculate indirect expenses such as time off work, transportation, accommodation, prescriptions, caregiving, and household help. Private benefits may vary, so confirm coverage and never assume every complication related to cosmetic surgery will be insured.
Follow Your Pre-Operative Instructions
Preparing During the Two Weeks Before Surgery
Confirm medication instructions, required tests, transportation, and your recovery support. Protect the treatment area from sunburn, skin injuries, rashes, and irritation caused by hair removal. Follow the surgeon’s instructions about skin cleansers, shaving, nail products, and cosmetic treatments.
Contact the clinic if you develop a fever, cough, cold, flu symptoms, COVID-19, a urinary infection, a dental infection, vomiting, diarrhea, or a new skin problem. It may be safer to postpone an elective operation than to proceed while you are ill.
The Day Before Surgery
On the day before surgery, check your arrival details and eating and drinking restrictions. Your procedure and anesthesia plan determine when food and liquids must be stopped. Do not apply a general rule you found online. Food or liquid consumed after the approved time can create an aspiration risk, making a delay or cancellation necessary.
Follow the clinic’s bathing directions and apply an antiseptic wash only as instructed. The surgical area should not be shaved, scrubbed, or marked without specific instructions. Get a good night’s sleep and avoid alcohol or recreational drugs.
What to Do on the Morning of Surgery
On surgery morning, use only authorized medications and no more water than permitted. Unless specifically allowed, avoid coffee, chewing gum, candy, and other oral products.
Arrive in loose clothing that is simple to change out of and put back on. After facial or breast surgery, a shirt that fastens at the front can be easier to wear. Do not bring jewellery, valuable items, contact lenses, or unnecessary personal products. Follow any instruction to avoid makeup, creams, perfume, deodorant, or similar products.
Bring photo identification, your provincial health card if requested, medication information, clinic forms, and any prescribed garment. Before the procedure, confirm the operation and the area being treated with the surgical team.
Understand the Initial Recovery Period
Pain, bruising, tightness, swelling, fatigue, and temporary numbness are common after many operations. Your recovery plan should follow all written guidance about medications, garments, drains, incision care, sleep position, washing, and activity.
Take medication only as directed. Opioids should not be combined with alcohol, cannabis, sleep medication, or sedating substances without medical direction. Possible opioid effects include nausea, constipation, poor judgment, drowsiness, and slow breathing. Unused opioid drugs should be stored safely and returned to a participating pharmacy rather than kept or shared.
Although gentle movement is often useful for circulation, heavy exertion can place stress on healing tissue and increase swelling or bleeding. Do not drive until you are off impairing medication, can move comfortably, and can make an emergency stop safely.
Know the Symptoms of a Complication
Possible warning signs include worsening pain, redness, heat, infection-like drainage, persistent fever, rapid swelling, an opening wound, uncontrolled vomiting, and drain complications.
Breathing difficulty, chest pain, loss of consciousness, confusion, blue lips, heavy bleeding, or a severe allergic reaction require emergency care or a 911 call. A blood clot may cause sudden pain in a leg or swelling that affects one calf. When a symptom could signal an emergency, seek help immediately instead of waiting for routine follow-up.
Your Complete Pre-Surgery Checklist
- I confirmed that my surgeon is licensed, properly trained, and experienced in my procedure.
- I confirmed that the operating facility meets provincial requirements.
- I have honestly reported all medical conditions, medicines, natural health products, and substances.
- The surgical team has explained all restrictions involving fasting, medicine, nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis.
- I understand the procedure, scars, recovery, risks, alternatives, and possible need for revision.
- My surgeon has received the requested test results and knows about any new illness or infection.
- I arranged transportation, overnight support, childcare, pet care, and time away from work.
- My caregiver and I can access the recovery plan and all necessary clinic contact information.
- I know which symptoms require a call to the clinic and which require emergency care.
Careful Preparation Supports a Safer Experience
A safe surgical plan should reflect your health, personal goals, and realistic medical advice. Allow time to verify your surgeon, address health factors you can change, and arrange reliable recovery help. Before surgery day, confirm anything you do not fully understand with your care team. Questions about fasting, medications, wound care, and complications should always be directed to the surgical team.
The information on this page is general and cannot replace personalized guidance from a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, family physician, pharmacist, or another regulated clinician.