Diabetes & Cosmetic Surgery: Can It Work?

With the progress the medical field has made with modern technology, more and more options have been made available to the public, including cosmetic surgery. Many patients resort to cosmetic surgery to find the answers that they need. However, if you are considering cosmetic surgery, there are many factors that surgeons need to take into account to see if you are eligible.

For diabetics, surgery always proves challenging. If you are diabetic, rest assured. You can still have cosmetic surgery as long as you take the right precautions.

How Does Diabetes Work?

First of all, you need to understand exactly how diabetes works. Diabetes mellitus is a disease that results in too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. This is because your body does not create enough or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is naturally created in your body to help convert food into energy. With too much glucose in the blood, some of it can spill into your urine. In addition, with consistently high levels of glucose in your blood, your body cells will not have enough energy. Eventually, this can cause damage in your nerves, eyes, kidneys, heart, and blood vessels, which can lead to premature death.

Why Does Diabetes Complicate Cosmetic Surgery?

Surgery can also lead to physical and mental stress. This stress can greatly affect hormone levels. For diabetics, this means that you may experience lower insulin secretion, increase in insulin resistance, reduced uptake of cellular glucose, and a buildup in the bloodstream.

Furthermore, due to the high urinary output that diabetics have, diabetics are more likely to become dehydrated.  Following a surgery, too much urination can force important fluids to leave your body. This leads to cells healing extremely slowly and exposes diabetics to further complications. When diabetics are experiencing surgery, hydration must be closely monitored.

As a result, a person with diabetes heals much slower due to high blood glucose levels. In some cases, some wounds do not fully heal. Like any other type of surgery, cosmetic surgery (for instance liposuction surgery) requires wounds and incisions to be created. If your diabetes causes you to heal slower, your wounds after surgery will be exposed to contamination for a longer period of time. This may lead to dangerous infections, fragile skin, nerve damage, tissue death, or cardiovascular inflammation. If you are diabetic, make sure you that follow proper wound care instructions following the surgery to prevent unnecessary risk to your body.

As a Diabetic, How Can I Reduce Risks Before Cosmetic Surgery?

Make sure you keep your blood glucose within a target zone. Consult your doctor to find out what optimal levels are. Make sure you stay hydrated and you keep a highly nutritious and protein-rich diet. You also want to avoid substance abuse. This means staying away from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Make sure you also exercise regularly and keep your stress levels low.

Diabetics Can Have Cosmetic Surgery Too!

As long as you frequently consult your primary care physician and a good cosmetic surgeon to understand what you need to do to minimize the risks of surgery, you can get the cosmetic surgery you desire even with diabetes.