Shouldn't I be required to have a physical and blood tests before Forehead Lift surgery?

Hi.  For healthy people without medical problems who are under age 40, pre-op testing is usually not required.  A medical history and physical exam should be performed by the surgeon prior to your procedure, and the anesthesiologist or CRNA should assess you as well.The surgeon should not be giving propofol and performing the procedure without an anesthesia provider to monitor your airway.

Thank you for your question. Each practice has different protocols surrounding the need for blood work and physical exams before surgery. In my Colorado practice, I do not require blood work unless the patient is high risk or has high blood pressure. The physical exam is performed by an R.N. during the pre-operative appointment.

In Florida, every patient needs a physical and routine lab work before having a surgery with sedation anesthesia.  If someone is young and healthy, the labs may be waived, but still have to have history and physical.  They may be planning on doing a finger stick blood test for your glucose and hemoglobin when you get there.  But if for some reason these are abnormal, you will be far from home.  So if you want to be on the safe side, get some routine lab tests done before you fly out there.

A physical exam and evaluation is normally needed before any surgical procedure, such as your planned forehead lift, that would be done under anesthesia.  The physical exam would include taking your pulse and blood pressure and evaluating your heart and lungs.  In a healthy 23 year old, such as yourself, blood work would not necessarily be needed.  

In an otherwise healthy young person with a negative history, from a medical standpoint further tests would not be necessary medically. If statutes would require them then, yes. A listen to the heart and lungs and a blood pressure is standard of care immediately prior to the surgery. I am "over 40" and every time I go to the hospital for orthopedic surgey (many times, some big) they do not even check any blood, only an EKG because I am over 40 y.o. and otherwise healthy with no medical history.

If your undergoing general anesthesia or deep sedation then having basic physical and lab work is prudent, but at your age and not health issues probably just vital signs is all needed.  Some forehead lifts can be done under local anesthesia with oral sedation, and I do not perform blood work for these cases.

Surgery under general anesthesia or sedation should have full history physical examination and blood work. All should be normal before an surgery under sedation (Propofol and versed). Regardless of age.Make sure that the facility where the surgery is done is accredited, the surgeon is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon (American Board of Plastic Surgery). These are required by any accrediting organizations. The person administering the anesthesia sedation medications should be certified anesthesiologist. If they do not meet these criteria then re think the surgery

If a surgery is small,  minimal blood loss is expected, and the patient is healthy, it's been shown that extra physician visits for exam and bloodworm and lab work are wasteful, and make no change int he patient's outcome.You should discuss your concern with your doctor to see if you fall into the healthy category or if based on your history and your planned surgery, work-up is necessary.

Younger patients usually do not need lab studies unless there are ongoing health problems. However, all patients having surgery in accredited out patient surgical facilities in California have to have a hisory and physical exam usually done by one of the surgeons on the staff.