At Guerra Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. Aldo Guerra ensures every prospective patient is in the best possible condition before recommending surgery. If you’re considering any of our procedures, a medical clearance might be needed to make sure you are a candidate for surgery and can recover successfully.
Have questions about medical clearance requirements? Meet our board-certified plastic surgeons to understand what testing or evaluations may be needed before surgery.
What Is Medical Clearance for Plastic Surgery?
Medical clearance is a review of your health by a primary care physician (PCP). It can be in collaboration with a cardiologist, endocrinologist, or pulmonologist, depending on your medical history and current health conditions.
Every operation, whether for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes, takes a toll on the entire body, including your heart and lungs. Clearance from a reputable PCP determines whether you can handle the physical demands of an invasive procedure.
Your surgical team may also use your clearance results to customize your recovery. They’ll know which medications work best, what complications to watch for, and how to adjust your post-op care based on your profile.
Do You Need Medical Clearance for Plastic Surgery?
If you have a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or another condition, your surgeon may request a medical clearance from your primary care provider or specialist and additional testing may follow. Even if you’re in the best shape of your life, underlying issues can go unnoticed until the stress of surgery reveals them.
Tracking down and managing all health concerns before going under the knife reduces the risk of bleeding, infection, poor wound healing, and adverse reactions to anesthesia.
Do All Plastic Surgeons Require Medical Clearance?
All patients undergoing general anesthesia should have a clean bill of health, although some surgeons only require a basic preoperative assessment. Different practitioners have their own standards.
What Does Dr. Guerra Require?
Here at Guerra Plastic Surgery Center, we want to meet you and learn more about your medical background before deciding if you need a complete, formal medical clearance. To help set your expectations, most patients who need it share the following:
- A Diagnosed or Suspected Health Issue
Many adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but 40% of them don’t know they have it. If you’re above a certain age or have a personal or family history of heart problems, we may ask you to seek cardiac clearance before surgery. An electrocardiogram (EKG) or a stress test can check for irregularities and ensure your heart is healthy enough for surgery.
You may also need medical clearance for plastic surgery if you have or have had:
- A history of cardiac procedures
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
- Cancer
- Obesity
The body doesn’t always send warning signals. For example, conditions like high cholesterol or heart arrhythmia may not cause symptoms, yet they can increase the chance of hemodynamic instability and cardiovascular collapse during surgery. It’s far safer to identify and address these threats before undergoing anesthesia.
- Medications or Supplements
Over-the-counter and prescribed medications, as well as some natural supplements, are part of our preoperative assessment. Many can interfere with anesthesia, induce bleeding, or cause post-surgical complications.
To cite a specific example, while blood thinners help prevent or treat clot-based conditions (e.g., pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, strokes), they could increase the risk of excessive bleeding during and after procedures. Even natural supplements like Ginkgo and vitamin E may lower blood viscosity or cause heavy bleeding. However, stopping without the prescribing physician’s approval can be just as dangerous.
Before adjusting or pausing any medication or supplement, we may speak with the prescribing physician to confirm why the patient is taking it, whether it’s safe to stop, and for how long they can pause intake before and after surgery.
Overall, we require medical clearance on a case-by-case basis based on the patient’s age, the complexity of their preferred procedure, and their general health.
Every patient is different. During your consultation, we’ll review your medical history and determine whether additional clearance or testing is recommended before surgery.
Importance of Cardiac Clearance Before Plastic Surgery
As stated earlier, some patients undergoing general anesthesia need pre-op clearance. For your own safety, your surgical team may require cardiac clearance even if you seem healthy.
Almost all anesthetic agents affect the heart to varying degrees. These drugs reduce heart rate and contractility (myocardial depression), which lowers cardiac output, especially if you already have cardiovascular disease. Anesthesia also alters the body’s integrative response to physiological changes, which affect reflexes and blood pressure regulation.
Getting cardiac clearance before plastic surgery helps identify hidden blockages, arrhythmias, or poorly managed blood pressure. Without addressing these risks, anesthesia or surgical stress could trigger complications.
How Guerra Plastic Surgery Center Protects You
Dr. Aldo Guerra believes that no cosmetic goal is worth risking one’s health. That’s why each of our patients undergoes a thorough review before proceeding with their desired enhancement.
If you need medical clearance for breast augmentation, a full tummy tuck, or a complete mommy makeover in Scottsdale, Arizona, our team can coordinate with your PCP or specialists to ensure our procedure takes place under the best possible conditions.
What to Expect During a Surgical Clearance Appointment
When your surgeon requests clearance, you can expect your primary care physician to:
- Review your complete medical history, including any family history of heart disease, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, bleeding disorders and more.
- Ask about your lifestyle, such as whether you smoke, drink alcohol, or exercise daily.
- Order basic tests like blood work and an electrocardiogram to measure your heart’s activity.
- Recommend further studies such as echocardiograms or stress tests if needed.
- Adjust medications or supplements that may interfere with anesthesia or healing.
Being open about your health allows your surgeon and anesthesiologist to minimize the risk of complications and achieve the best surgical results.
Patient Reviews
Lindsay on Google
Dr. Guerra was so helpful and accommodating during my consultation. Surgery went well. I did have a complication afterwards, but Dr. Guerra acted quickly to get me back on my healing journey. Highly recommend!
Allison on yelp
I had a breast augmentation done by Dr. Guerra. I had an exceptional experience with his team. Dr. Guerra guided me every step of the way from my consultation and into surgery day. I was extremely nervous going into this operation as I have never had a surgery before, but Dr. Guerra and his team made me feel at ease and confident about my procedure. The anesthesiologist also explained every step of the surgery which made me feel confident. This was an amazing experience from start to finish and I am so grateful that I was in great hands! Thank you to Dr. Guerra and his team!
Board-certified plastic surgeon Aldo Guerra, MD, FACS
Ready. Set. Go.
It is highly recommended that you call us at (480) 568-2523 or schedule your consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgery specialists to discuss your aesthetic goals, health concerns, and the procedures you’re interested in. Once you complete your consultation we will determine if you need a medical clearance prior to surgery.
