Once your surgery date is confirmed, the four weeks leading up to it matter more than most patients realise. The single biggest predictor of a smooth recovery is not how the operation itself goes — most operations go as planned — but how well prepared you are for the first 72 hours after you walk out of the clinic. That preparation is largely logistical, and it is almost entirely under your control.
This checklist covers what to do in the weeks, days, and hours before surgery. Some items are non-negotiable for safety reasons. Others are practical comfort measures that can make a meaningful difference to how you experience recovery.
Six weeks before surgery: medical preparation
Stop smoking, vaping, and all nicotine products. This includes nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and substantially impairs wound healing, with documented increases in the rate of skin necrosis, wound dehiscence, and infection after procedures that lift or tension skin (facelift, abdominoplasty, breast lift, breast reduction). The six-week pre-operative window is not arbitrary — it is the minimum period needed for the vascular effects of nicotine to clear. We do test for nicotine pre-operatively where indicated, and surgery will be deferred if a positive result is returned. See the impact of smoking on cosmetic surgery for the underlying physiology.
Stop blood-thinning medications and supplements, on medical advice. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, ginseng, garlic supplements and St John’s wort all increase bleeding risk. Your surgeon will give you a specific list at your pre-operative assessment. Do not stop any prescription anticoagulant (warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, clopidogrel) without speaking to the prescribing doctor — these require structured bridging.
Optimise any chronic conditions. If you have diabetes, hypertension, or any other condition under regular review, make sure it is well controlled. Tell your GP that surgery is upcoming and ask whether any medications need adjusting.
Address weight if it is borderline. If your BMI is approaching the upper limit for the procedure, this is the window in which losing a stone or two materially reduces operative risk. See BMI and cosmetic surgery eligibility.
Two to three weeks before surgery: logistics
Arrange a dedicated adult to accompany you home and stay for the first 24 hours. This is a clinical requirement, not a suggestion. You will be discharged after a general anaesthetic and cannot legally consent to anything, drive, or operate machinery for 24 hours. The person staying with you should be an adult, not be the primary carer for children or vulnerable adults during that period, and not be working from home. Their job for those 24 hours is to be available to you.
If you are bringing a partner who normally has caring responsibilities, arrange backup childcare or eldercare so they can give you their full attention. Our guide for the people supporting you is assisting with plastic surgery recovery.
Book at least one week off work. Two weeks for abdominoplasty, BBL, or breast reduction. Longer for combined procedures. Office-based jobs can sometimes restart at week two on reduced hours; physically demanding jobs need longer. Do not arrange to “work from home” — recovery is not compatible with work, and patients who try always regret it.
Arrange childcare and eldercare for the first one to two weeks. You will not be able to lift small children for between two and six weeks depending on the procedure (longer after any breast or abdominal surgery). Set up cover well in advance.
Pause gym memberships and exercise commitments. Most procedures require four weeks off strenuous exercise and heavy lifting. Walking and gentle mobility from day three or four is encouraged; structured exercise is not. See resuming exercise after cosmetic surgery.
Plan transport. You will need a taxi or private hire — not the Tube or bus — both for discharge and for the follow-up appointment the next day. Centre for Surgery is at 95–97 Baker Street; the journey home should be as direct as possible.
One week before surgery: home preparation
The aim is to make the first three days after surgery as low-effort as possible. The more you organise now, the less you have to manage when you are tired and sore.
- Prepare your sleeping setup. Specific sleeping positions are required for different procedures. After facelift, blepharoplasty, or any upper-body surgery, you will need to sleep propped up at roughly 30 degrees for one to two weeks, which usually means a wedge pillow plus two regular pillows. After breast surgery, sleeping on your back is required. After BBL, you sleep on your front or sides only — never on your back — for two weeks. Your patient coordinator will confirm specifics. For the broader guide, see how to sleep after cosmetic surgery.
- Set up a recovery base. Pick one room with easy bathroom access. Stock it with: water (lots), phone charger within reach, a small bin, tissues, lip balm (anaesthetic dries lips), a notebook for tracking medication times, books or downloaded shows that do not require concentration, and a thermometer.
- Cook and freeze meals for the first week. Aim for protein-rich, easy-to-reheat dishes — stews, soups, pasta sauces, baked dishes. Protein supports wound healing; iron-rich foods help if you have had a procedure with blood loss. See pre-operative nutrition for what to eat in the days before surgery.
- Pre-arrange prescriptions. Your post-operative medications — usually an antibiotic and a pain-relief regime — will be dispensed by the clinic on the day of surgery. Lay out a designated medication station at home with a pill organiser and a written schedule.
- Stock practical supplies. Loose, front-fastening clothing (zip or button — no overhead pulling for upper-body procedures); slip-on shoes; high-fibre foods and a stool softener (opioid pain relief causes constipation in almost everyone); arnica tablets if your surgeon has approved them; saline solution for any wound care your surgeon has specified.
- Charge a thermometer and pulse oximeter if you have one. Knowing your baseline temperature and oxygen saturation lets you spot early signs of infection or chest problems.
The day before surgery
- Fasting: no food from midnight, clear fluids only until two hours before your admission time, then nothing. Your patient coordinator will confirm exact timings.
- No alcohol for 24 hours before surgery — ideally for the full week before.
- Pack a small bag: ID, payment card, phone and charger, glasses (not contact lenses), a loose-fitting outfit to wear home, slip-on shoes, and any medications you take regularly in their original packaging.
- Remove all jewellery, nail varnish, gel nails, hair extensions, and false eyelashes. These interfere with monitoring equipment.
- Shower the night before with a normal shower gel. Do not apply moisturiser, deodorant, perfume, or make-up to the surgical area or anywhere on your body in the morning.
- Wash your hair the night before. Dry shampoo is your friend for the first week.
- Confirm transport for the morning and for discharge.
- Re-read your consent forms and the surgeon’s written instructions. Make a list of any last questions for the morning admission.
- Get to bed early. Patients who arrive well-rested tolerate anaesthesia and recovery noticeably better.
The morning of surgery
- No food. Clear water up to the time specified by your anaesthetist.
- Take any morning medications you have been told to take with a small sip of water.
- Wear loose, comfortable, front-fastening clothing. Avoid anything that has to come off over the head.
- Leave valuables at home or with your accompanying adult.
- Arrive at the time specified by the clinic — usually 60 to 90 minutes before your scheduled operating time, to allow for admission, anaesthetic consent, and surgical marking.
You will meet your anaesthetist and have a final conversation with your surgeon before surgery. This is your last opportunity to raise any questions or concerns. There is no such thing as a silly question at this stage — say what is on your mind.
Mental preparation: what is reasonable to feel
Anxiety in the run-up to surgery is normal and does not in itself mean you should not proceed. What is worth paying attention to is the character of the anxiety. Generic pre-procedure nerves that settle once the day arrives is one thing. A persistent sense that something is wrong, or doubts about whether you want the surgery at all, is a separate signal and worth taking seriously. The cooling-off period exists for exactly this reason — if you have doubts, raise them, even close to the date.
For most patients, the most useful psychological preparation is realistic expectation setting. Surgery achieves specific, measurable changes to anatomy. It is not a reset on your life, your relationships, or your self-image, and patients who arrive with non-aesthetic expectations are more likely to feel disappointed even with a technically excellent result. The Centre for Surgery consultation process is designed to flag this in advance.
What Centre for Surgery handles for you
Several things on this list are managed by the clinic rather than by you:
- Pre-operative blood tests and ECG where required, organised at your pre-op assessment.
- All medications dispensed on the day of surgery, with written dosing instructions.
- Surgical garments or compression wear, where applicable to your procedure, fitted before discharge.
- The follow-up appointment the day after surgery, with subsequent appointments at one week, three weeks, six weeks, three months, and twelve months (procedure-dependent).
- A 24/7 nurse-led aftercare line for any concerns during the first six weeks.
Booking and finance
If you have not yet booked but are working through preparations, the consultation process is described in our guide from enquiry to consultation. For funding, see finance options, including 0% APR through Chrysalis Finance, our FCA-regulated finance partner.
To speak to a patient coordinator, call 0207 993 4849 or use the contact form. We are based at 95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone.
Related reading
Centre for Surgery · CQC-regulated · GMC specialist-registered surgeons · 95–97 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 6RN · 0207 993 4849 · Book a consultation · Finance from 0% APR
