Plastic Surgery for Anemic Patients?
asked 2 years ago by lucioustam in atlanta ga
Latest answer by D.J. Verret, MD
Question viewed 377 times
Tags: plastic surgery
If I am anemic, were should my iron level be for plastic surgery? Surgeons, what level or what numbers are safe?
3 answers to Plastic Surgery for Anemic Patients?
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Determine the Cause of Anemia before Proceeding with Elective Surgery
Most plastic surgery on some level is elective. I would completely agree wtih the other physicians who correctly point out that the first step is to determine the cause of your anemia before proceeding with surgery. For certain procedures for which minimal blood loss is anticipated, such as eyelid surgery or brow lift procedures, a certain amount of anemia can be easily tolerated. For a facelift, although blood loss is generally minimal, there can be a fair amount of bleeding and starting...
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D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1
Anemia and elective cosmetic or plastic surgery
I would agree with Dr. Aldea. The cause of your anemia should first be evaluated. That having been said, we generally prefer your hemoglobin to be hihger than the 10 range. However, the nature of the procedure may affect this arbitrary number. For example, if you are contemplating a full body lift where blood loss can be anticipated, we would generally prefer that your blood count be higher. However, if you are scheduled to undergo a facelift, a hemoglobin of 10 may be acceptable but not...
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Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1
Plastic surgery for anemic patients?
Dear Lucioustam,
Respectfully - I think you are putting the cart before the horse.
The vast majority of Plastic surgical procedures are elective in nature. To proceed with such a procedure without an understanding of WHY you are anemic, in my opinion, is unethical.
Iron deficiency anemia MAY be caused by excessive menstrual flow BUT can also be caused by a bleeding ulcer, a colon cancer or a process which destroys the bone marrow and its ability to produce red cells.
If I were your surgeon,...
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