Cosmetic surgery involves undergoing an operation to alter your physical appearance for medical or aesthetic reasons. Most cosmetic surgeries done in the UK are invasive under general anaesthesia. After a procedure, patients often call their doctors with complaints of fatigue. It’s normal to feel tired after any cosmetic surgery and here is why.
Reason Why You May Experience Fatigue After Cosmetic Surgery
Feeling tired is usual for almost all patients who have undergone any kind of surgery. From breast enlargement, facelift, liposuction to rhinoplasty, feelings of fatigue may creep in.
1. Sleep Deprivation
If you’ve decided to undergo a cosmetic procedure, you may feel anxious days before the surgery.
This affects your sleep and may lead to sleep deprivation. With most cosmetic surgeries, you can go home the very same day.
Your body will therefore trigger a period of fatigue or sleepiness. This is to compensate for the sleep deficit. That’s one of the reasons why you may feel tired after your surgery.
2. Loss Of Blood
It’s usual to lose some blood during surgery. This is especially if you are undergoing a highly invasive procedure.
This loss of blood leads to low red blood count or anaemia. One of the common signs of anaemia is fatigue.
If you already have a history of anaemia, you are more likely to feel tired and sleepy after your surgery.
However, even patients who are not anaemic may become anaemic during and after the procedure.
Besides feeling fatigued, if you’ve lost blood, you may also feel weak or dizzy. The fatigue may be due to your body working harder to breathe.
Anaemia decreases your body’s oxygen-carrying capacity. This is due to the reduced red blood cells.
3. Post-Surgical Depression
Most people who choose cosmetic surgery do so for aesthetic purposes. Post-surgical depression is, therefore, common. This depression is due to anxiety and worrying about the outcome of the surgery.
Did the surgery work? How will I look after healing? These are all questions that may flood your mind leading to anxiety and sleep deprivation.
This deficit leads to post-surgical fatigue. Some cosmetic surgery patients may also worry about whether the procedure was necessary. These are all common feelings that will go away with time as you heal.
4. Medications
During a cosmetic procedure, your doctor may administer medications. These medications alter blood pressure when you’re on the operating table.
These drugs reduce blood pressure, and the result is fatigue. Likewise, after surgery, your doctor may prescribe pain medications and antibiotics. Some of these drugs cause fatigue days after the procedure.
5. Loss of Electrolytes and Minerals
Most patients are advised to fast before a major cosmetic procedure. Fasting helps prevent issues like airway compromise, vomiting and gastrointestinal aspiration.
You may need to continue fasting for a shorter period after the surgery. During this period, you may lose vital minerals and electrolytes.
While fluids are administered during the procedure, they may not contain the electrolytes and minerals you need.
A loss of sodium and potassium, for instance, can lead to feelings of weakness and fatigue.
One of the concerns of most patients after cosmetic surgery is feelings of weakness and fatigue. These are normal and usually go away in a few days or weeks after the surgery. If fatigue persists and you experience other symptoms, inform your plastic surgeon immediately.
