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In the hopes of living longer and living better, many of us take daily supplements (vitamins, herbs, and so forth) to help combat the ravages of aging. But what many people don’t realize is that these same supplements, while incredibly positive for our health under normal conditions, can actually be dangerous when taken around the time of surgery.
The biggest problems we are seeing, as Plastic Surgery providers, is that many of our patients simply don’t realize that these compounds can have dramatic effects on bleeding time and platelet function. Under normal conditions, this may not be a problem. But during any procedure where bleeding is involved, platelets are an effective stopgap that prevent us from excessive blood loss. And when their function is compromised by even a small degree, there can be a dramatic increase in the amount of bleeding following even a very simple procedure.
And, many people don’t realize that even a single aspirin can actually have an impact on bleeding time. I commonly see patients coming for procedures such as Botox or fillers who may have taken a single dose of either Aspirin or Advil that morning. And, lo and behold, when they are injected, they tend to bleed more than normal. A little extra bleeding may not be a big deal in this situation but for a patient who is undergoing a procedure such as a facelift, the results can actually be life threatening. Please don’t accidentally complicate your Denver breast augmentation by taking the wrong medicine or foods.
While I encourage all of my patients to lead a healthy lifestyle, I also educate them on the risks of common supplements and the risk they may pose for excessive bruising and/or bleeding. If you have any questions on this topic, I welcome your questions. Please email them to me at [email protected]