Elliot at River's Edge
185 Queen City Avenue
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: 603-314-6450
Fax: 603-314-6459
At Elliot Hospital our plastics and reconstructive surgery team specialize in various face and neck procedures including:
The ideal candidate for face and neck surgery is an overall healthy individual who does not have medical conditions that could affect healing. Some examples of conditions that can impair healing include diabetes and conditions that require treatment with immunosuppressant or steroids. Those considering face and neck surgery also should not smoke.
During your consultation, you and your surgeon will discuss your concerns and your goals as well as your medical and surgical history, allergies, medications you take, and alcohol, tobacco, and/or drug use. Your surgeon will explain your surgical options as well as any additional procedures that may benefit your specific concerns and facial features. Photographs will also be taken at the time of consultation to help with planning your procedure. Once you’ve selected a surgery date, your surgical team (plastic surgeon, physician assistant, registered nurse) will discuss how to prepare for surgery. You will be educated on which medications to avoid prior to surgery, any preoperative testing that may be required, instructions for any new medications that will be added before or after surgery, drain care if applicable, risks of surgery, as well as postoperative restrictions and incision care.
You will be presentable and feel great about 2 weeks after surgery. Full recovery takes 4-6 weeks. After 6 weeks, you can expect to have no restrictions, as long as you have healed appropriately and had no complications. You will have guidelines in place immediately after surgery such as lifting restrictions, no bending at the waist, and avoiding activities that elevate heart rate or blood pressure. You may also be instructed to wear a light compression garment to help with swelling and contour. The first 2 weeks are most important to adhere to these recommendations and after that time frame, your restrictions will likely be lessened. You can expect to be bruised and swollen for the first 2 weeks; this improves over time. You will be instructed on medication use and things to implement at home to help mitigate these symptoms, such as sleeping with your head elevated and safely using ice.
Results from your surgery will be noticeable immediately however it will take several months for swelling to resolve and full results to be appreciated. Incisions take a full 12-18 months to heal and fade. You will have routine visits scheduled with your plastic surgeon and/or physician assistant after surgery. At these visits, we will discuss your healing, address any questions or concerns you may have, and take photos to monitor your progress. We will also help guide you on how to care for your incisions to optimize healing and scar fading. We will remove sutures, skin clips, and/or drains at these visits, if applicable and when appropriate.
It is important for you and your plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and be sure that your expectations are both realistic and aligned. Our mission is always to provide patients with their ideal result however sometimes patients require additional procedures to achieve their desired outcome.