What to Do If You Have High Blood Pressure Levels Before Plastic Surgery

One of the things that we constantly remind our clients here at our Danville cosmetic surgery practice before undergoing any procedure is that they should be generally in excellent physical shape. This also means that they should be free from any existing health condition that can potentially increase their risk of complications following surgery or compromise the results.

Defining High Blood Pressure

By and large, blood pressure is the measure of force of blood exerted against the walls of your blood vessels. It is often measured using two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The former measures the force when the heart beats while the latter measures the force when the heart is at rest. Systolic pressure is the number mentioned first while diastolic pressure is the number mentioned afterwards.

Normal blood pressure has a systolic pressure below 120 and a diastolic pressure below 80. High levels of blood pressure begins with a systolic pressure of 120 and above and a diastolic pressure of above 80. Although not all types of high blood pressure readings should be a cause for concern, chronic high blood pressure levels should be taken seriously. You can learn more about high blood pressure readings in this post by the American heart of Association.

The Need to Normalize Blood Pressure Levels Before Cosmetic Surgery

One of the most dangerous risk of having high blood pressure during cosmetic surgery has to do with the use of general anesthesia as it can increase the patient’s chances of having a heart attack or a similar consequence during surgery.

In addition, patients who are taking blood thinners to reduce hypertension may also increase their chances of bleeding during and after surgery.

All things considered, it may be best to talk to your general doctor first about treating their high blood pressure levels first before making the decision to have plastic surgery including drug therapy, diet changes, and lifestyle revisions.

Call 925.820.3633 or fill out this contact form to set up an appointment if you’d like to learn more about how to make yourself ready for plastic surgery.  We look forward to helping you reshape your body and improve your life at the same time!