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I Had A Pulmonary Embolism 28 Years Ago. I Am Considering Having a Face Lift. Is There Still a Big Risk?
28 years ago I had a pulmonary embolism. At that time I was a heavy smoker and had traveled a long plane flight while feeling under the weather. I was hospitalized for about 2 weeks and took blood thinners for approx.6 months. I have had no other episodes or complications from this event and I quit smoking at that time. I am now 67 years old and am considering a 4-5 hour elective surgery for a face lift. Am I still at risk for complications because of the previous pulmonary embolism event?
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22 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
buckwheat
in Corona, CA
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Pulmonary Embolism 28 Years Ago - Considering Face Lift
A PE is much more likely to result from a long general anesthesia as opposed to IV sedation. You should also have SCDs on your legs, massaging the leg during surgery.
For most face lifts we use IV sedation anesthesia, which is a very safe and effective method of anesthesia for facial plastic surgery and rhinoplasty. IV sedation anesthesia is extremely safe compared to the standard general anesthesia techniques used today. The main advantages of IV sedation anesthesia are: (i) it...
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Facelift - I Had A Pulmonary Embolism 28 Years Ago. I Am Considering Having a Face Lift. Is There Still a Big Risk?
Probably not, but it will take a few assessments to get a more specific answer than that. And, of course, no one knows what the word "big" means in this case. My general sense is that you've undergone such a dramatic transformation since that time, and that pulmonary emboli are well known in the specific situation you were in (overweight, a long plane ride) so you can reasonably start with the assumption that this is an entirely different situation. That being...
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Blood clots associated with facelifts
I would see a hematologis before sugery. consider iv sedation which has lower rates of DVT. compared with general, wear ted hose,, use seq compression in surgery.. consider. perioperative SQ. thinners by injection
consider shorter procedure such as the LiteLift which can be done in 1-2 hours under local
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Facelift after previous pulmonary embolus.
A full medical workup with Medical Clearance by your Internist will answer this question for us. There may be a slightly higher risk for you, but this can be managed adequately and should not prevent you from having a lift. Always ask your Plastic Surgeon about this and I am sure the best opinion will be offered to you.
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Can I have a facelift after a Pulmonary Embolism?
I would strongly recommend you get preoperative clearance from your primary doctor. Your history of having a PE in the past places you at a higher risk clearly for another event. You may consider a mini-facelift in an office setting under local anesthesia to reduce your risks. You may also see if your physician is open to using Arixtra after your surgery to reduce your risks. This is a blood thinner used often in abdominoplasty patients with great success in reducing...
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Pulmonary embolus-lung clot and plastic,cosmetic surgery
Fortunately, pulmonary embolus is a rare occurence but one that I make my patients aware of because I really have very little control over. I take appropriate precautions. During the surgery, the patient has alternating pressure stockings on which pump and circulate the blood in your legs. This are on until you leave the facility. Also, I encourage my patients to ambulate early and move their legs around at least every half hour while awake.
If you have had a pulmonary...
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Face Lift after a pulmonary embolism
If you are properly medically prepared for the surgery, your chances of a repeat pulmonary embolism are quite remote. My recommendation would be to perform your procedure under twilight sleep. In my practice most patients successfully undergo face lifts, lid and brow surgeries in this fashion. Another factor to consider, is how long does it take for the surgeon to perform the procedure. Lower face-neck lift can usually be performed in under 3 hours.
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Yes of course you are at increased risk.
That does not mean you can't have a face lift which considered a low risk surgery. The important thing is to have an appropriate work up by your internist. What that work up will include very much depends on your current and past medical history and a number of factors. At your age, that work up might include a detailed assessment of your cardiac status. It is likely that your past embolism was related to smoking and travel at the time. Many surgeons employ...
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Risk of Pulmonary embolus with facelift
You need a complete medical clearance prior to your procedure to rule out underlying clotting issues. Post op measures such as early ambulation are also important. The fact that you have stopped smoking also decreases the risk. Donald R. Nunn MD Atlanta Plastic Surgeon.
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History of pulmonary embolus and facelift
In answer to your question, whenever one has experienced a pulmonary embolus in the past, he or she is then at increased risk, statistically, of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus in the future. With that said, the details in your history indicate prolonged immobility during a long plane flight contributed to your pulmonary embolus. A four to five hour face lift, whether under local or general anesthesia, is prolonged immobility. The use of sequential compression...
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