How to Prepare for Plastic Surgery: A Pre-Op Checklist

Preparing well for plastic surgery is mostly about a handful of things done properly in the weeks beforehand: completing your pre-operative lab tests, pausing the medications and supplements your surgeon flags, stopping smoking and vaping, arranging help and time off, and setting up your home and travel for recovery. Good preparation is one of the strongest predictors of a smooth recovery, and almost all of it is within your control. This checklist reflects the kind of pre-operative protocol Dr. Paulo Michels uses for procedures such as a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) at Elyzee Hospital in Abu Dhabi, for patients from Abu Dhabi & Dubai and abroad. Your own instructions are personalised at your consultation and take precedence over any general guide.

What medical tests and clearances happen before surgery?

Before an operation you will complete a set of pre-operative investigations — typically blood tests and other checks appropriate to your procedure and health history — so your surgical and anaesthesia team can confirm you are fit for surgery and plan safely. These are arranged for you as part of the pre-op process, and it matters that they are done in the window your team specifies, not too early and not left to the last minute.

If you have an existing medical condition or are under the care of another doctor, you may be asked to obtain a clearance from them before surgery. Bring an accurate, up-to-date list of everything you take — prescription medicines, over-the-counter remedies, vitamins and herbal supplements — to your consultation, along with any known allergies. The completeness of that list directly shapes the safety planning that follows, so leave nothing off it.

Which medications and supplements need to be paused?

This is where preparation genuinely affects your safety, and it is not a decision to make on your own. Some medications and supplements increase bleeding or interact with anaesthesia and are paused before surgery — but exactly which ones, and for how long, depends on the drug, the dose and why you take it. Your surgeon and anaesthesiologist give you a specific stop-list and timeline tailored to you.

The key rules are simple. First, disclose everything, including supplements people often forget to mention, such as fish oil, vitamin E and various herbal products, several of which can thin the blood. Second, never stop a prescribed medication on your own initiative — some, such as certain blood-thinners or medications for chronic conditions, must be managed carefully and sometimes in coordination with the doctor who prescribed them. Pause only what your surgical team tells you to pause, when they tell you to, and ask rather than guess if anything is unclear.

Why does stopping smoking and vaping matter so much?

Of everything on this list, stopping smoking has one of the largest effects on how you heal. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces the oxygen reaching your healing tissues, which raises the risk of wound-healing problems, poorer scars and other complications. This is why non-smoking is emphasised so strongly before body procedures — good healing depends on good blood supply to the skin and tissues.

Your surgeon will give you a required window to be smoke- and nicotine-free before and after your operation. Importantly, this includes vaping and nicotine-replacement products, not just cigarettes — nicotine is the problem regardless of how it is delivered. Waterpipe (shisha) counts too. The more completely and the earlier you stop within the window you are given, the better positioned your body is to heal. If quitting is difficult, raise it honestly at your consultation rather than concealing it; your team would far rather help you plan around it than discover it after a healing problem.

What about eating, drinking and fasting before the operation?

You will be given clear fasting instructions for the hours before surgery — a period without food or drink that is essential for the safety of your anaesthetic. Follow the timing you are given exactly. Eating or drinking inside the fasting window can lead to your surgery being postponed on the day, so it is not a detail to improvise.

Your team will also tell you which of your regular medications, if any, may be taken with a small sip of water on the morning of surgery, and which to hold. In the days leading up to the operation, eating well and staying properly hydrated helps prepare your body — and in the UAE climate, hydration in the run-up deserves particular attention. On the day itself, follow the fasting rule to the letter and let your medication instructions come from your team.

How do you set up help and your home for recovery?

The practical logistics matter as much as the medical preparation, and they are easy to underestimate. For the first days after a significant procedure you will need someone with you. Arrange for a responsible adult to take you home after discharge and to stay with you for at least the first night or two — you should not be caring for yourself, or for young children alone, immediately after surgery and anaesthesia.

Set your home up before you go in, while it is still easy. A few things that consistently help:

• Prepare your recovery space. Have a comfortable spot ready with pillows, easy-to-reach chargers, water and anything you will want within arm’s reach.
• Stock up in advance. Buy groceries, easy meals and any prescribed supplies before surgery so you are not shopping while recovering.
• Sort out help at home. Arrange childcare, pet care and help with cleaning or cooking for the first week or two.
• Book time off. Plan enough leave from work for your specific procedure, and remember you should not drive until your team clears you.
• Keep the space cool. In the UAE, being able to stay in reliable air conditioning matters, especially if you will be wearing a compression garment day and night.
• Loose, easy clothing. Have soft, front-opening or loose clothes ready that go on without straining.

What should Dubai and international patients plan for?

Because Dr. Michels operates at Elyzee Hospital in Abu Dhabi, patients travelling from Dubai, elsewhere in the UAE or from abroad have some extra logistics to arrange. Plan your accommodation and travel around your follow-up schedule, not just the surgery date — you will need to be seen for post-operative checks, and for many body procedures early manual lymphatic drainage is recommended, so staying within reach of the clinic for the initial recovery period is wise.

If you are flying in, factor in that there is a waiting period after surgery before it is safe to fly, which your surgeon will define based on your procedure. Build that into your return plans rather than booking a tight departure. Travel for a companion, ground transport to and from appointments, and a comfortable base to recover in all belong in the plan. For patients who cannot easily travel for an initial visit, a remote consultation is available and can be conducted in English, Portuguese or Spanish, so much of the planning can begin before you arrive.

Preparation extends to the procedure choice itself. Part of preparing well is understanding what your operation actually involves — whether that is a full tummy tuck, liposuction or the minimally invasive MILA tummy tuck — so your recovery plans match the real downtime. That match is settled in consultation.

When should you contact your surgeon before surgery?

Some changes in the run-up to surgery need to be reported rather than worked around, because they can affect whether it is safe to proceed as planned. Contact the clinic before your operation if:

• You develop a fever, cold, flu, cough or any new infection in the days before surgery
• A new skin problem — a rash, spot or wound — appears in or near the area to be operated on
• You started, stopped or changed any medication, or realise you took something on the stop-list
• You are unsure whether you have followed the fasting or medication instructions correctly
• Any new health problem arises, or another doctor changes your treatment
• You have not been able to stop smoking or vaping as advised

None of these automatically means your surgery will be postponed, but each is a reason for a conversation before the day rather than a surprise on it. Dr. Michels’ team would always rather know in advance.

Preparation is the part you control

Much about surgery is in your surgeon’s hands, but preparation is squarely in yours — and it is one of the clearest levers you have on a smooth recovery. Completed tests, an honest medication list and a followed stop-list, real distance from nicotine, exact fasting, and a home and support system set up in advance are what let the operation and the healing go the way they should. In consultation at Elyzee Hospital in Abu Dhabi, welcoming patients from Abu Dhabi & Dubai and internationally, Dr. Paulo Michels gives you a preparation plan built around your procedure and your health, and his team is available for questions at every step before your surgery date.