Preop: Avoid things which make you bleed. Aspirin and NSAIDs

Posted on March 2, 2011

Bleeding is no good for a lot of the surgeries I do.  Some of the cosmetic surgeries I perform have a large surface area (tummy tuck, breast reduction and lift), so a little oozing over a large area can add up.  Some of the surgeries have a space (tummy tuck, breast augmentation pocket), so if you are oozy, your body will try to fill the space with blood.  For the rest, you will just bruise more, which can delay healing and cause more scar. 

We don’t like this. 

So if you have a headache what can you take?  Tylenol is okay.  It does not cause an increase in bleeding.  Aspirin, Motrin, Ibuprofen are all bad.  But it is tough to know what is “aspirin” or a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, and what is safe.

For a partial list of Aspirin and NSAID products, read below.  These are all  NO NOs for the two weeks ahead of surgery.  I also have another blog on herbals to avoid.  In general, anything which is “heart healthy” means it makes you bleed more.