Patients research surgeons for months and recovery for weeks. The day of surgery itself usually goes unexamined until they are sitting in the waiting room.
Dr. Jean Paul Giudicelli Saba, board certified plastic surgeon in Santo Domingo, walks through what actually happens.
The night before
You stop eating and drinking at midnight. This is not a suggestion. Food or liquid in the stomach can be aspirated into the lungs under anesthesia, which is why an anesthesiologist will postpone a case over a cup of coffee.
Shower with the antibacterial soap you were given. Skip lotion, perfume, deodorant, and makeup. Remove nail polish, at least on one hand, since the pulse oximeter reads through the nail. Take off jewelry and piercings and leave them at your accommodation.
Most patients sleep badly. That is normal and does not affect the surgery.
Arrival
You arrive at the hospital roughly two hours before your scheduled time. Bring your passport, your paperwork, and your companion. Wear something loose that opens in front, because you will not be raising your arms over your head afterward.
Admissions processes you and takes you to a pre operative area. You change into a gown, and a nurse takes your vital signs and places an IV line in your hand or forearm.
The pre operative markings
Dr. Giudicelli sees you before surgery and marks your body while you are standing. This is one of the more important parts of the day and it happens standing up for a reason: gravity changes where everything sits, and the surgical plan has to reflect how your body looks upright, not lying flat.
He draws the incision lines, the areas for liposuction, the zones to avoid, and the landmarks that guide symmetry. You will see the plan on your own body. This is the moment to ask anything you have not asked.
Photographs are taken for your medical record.
Meeting the anesthesiologist
The anesthesiologist reviews your medical history, your medications, your allergies, and any previous experience with anesthesia. If you have ever had nausea after anesthesia, say so, because it changes what they give you.
This person stays with you for the entire operation, monitoring your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, temperature, and depth of anesthesia continuously. They are not a background presence.
Going under
You walk or are wheeled into the operating room. It is cold, which is intentional and also uncomfortable. You will be given warm blankets.
Monitors go on your chest, a blood pressure cuff on your arm, and a clip on your finger. Compression devices are placed on your legs to reduce clot risk. The anesthesiologist places a mask over your face and asks you to breathe normally.
Most patients remember counting or a conversation and then nothing. There is no gradual fade. One moment you are in the operating room, the next you are waking up.
What happens while you are asleep
Your companion waits. Surgical time depends on the procedure: roughly one to two hours for breast augmentation, two to three for liposuction or Lipo 360, three to four for a BBL, three to four for a tummy tuck, four to six for combined procedures.
Add about an hour on either end for anesthesia induction, positioning, and recovery room time. Tell your companion the realistic window so nobody panics at hour three of a five hour operation.
Waking up
You wake in the recovery room, already in your compression garment, which was placed while you were still under. Your mouth is dry. You may be cold and shivering, which is common after anesthesia and passes.
Most patients feel groggy rather than in pain at first, because pain medication was given during surgery. Discomfort arrives gradually over the following hours as that wears off.
You will be monitored here for one to two hours. A nurse checks your vital signs, your surgical sites, and your drains if you have them. You will be encouraged to take deep breaths, which helps prevent lung complications.
Some patients feel nauseated. Say so rather than enduring it, since vomiting strains an abdominal repair.
The first walk
You will be asked to stand and walk a short distance, usually within a few hours. This feels premature and it is not. Early movement reduces the risk of blood clots, which is one of the more serious complications in body contouring surgery.
After a tummy tuck you will walk bent forward. This is expected and temporary, and trying to straighten up puts tension on the incision.
Going back to your accommodation
Most procedures are same day. You are discharged once you are stable, tolerating fluids, and able to walk with assistance. Your companion or your recovery house driver takes you back.
Some patients, particularly after extensive combined procedures, stay overnight for monitoring. That decision is made based on your case rather than a fixed policy.
You will leave with prescriptions, written instructions, a follow up appointment, and a way to reach the team.
The first night
You will sleep in whatever position your procedure requires. Reclined with pillows under the knees after a tummy tuck. On your stomach or side after a BBL. Elevated after breast surgery.
Set alarms for your medication rather than waiting until pain wakes you. Staying ahead of it works better than chasing it.
Someone should be with you. Not because something is likely to go wrong, but because getting to the bathroom is harder than you expect and dizziness on standing is common.
What should worry you
Pain that increases rather than gradually decreases. Fever. Spreading redness. Sudden swelling on one side only. Chest pain or shortness of breath. Calf pain or swelling. Bleeding that soaks through dressings.
Message the team. That channel exists for this.
What patients say afterward
The two most common comments are that the waiting beforehand was worse than the surgery, and that the first night was harder than expected. Both are worth knowing in advance.
About Dr. Giudicelli
Board certified plastic surgeon in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Member of ASPS, SODOCIPRE, and FILACP. Residency at Hospital Salvador B. Gautier through the RENACIP program. All procedures performed in accredited surgical facilities with certified anesthesiologists. 4.8 stars on Google across 66 verified patient reviews.
Common questions
Will I feel anything during surgery?
No. Under general anesthesia you are fully unconscious with no awareness and no memory of the procedure.
Can my companion stay with me?
They can be with you in the pre operative area and will meet you after you are moved out of recovery. They cannot be in the operating room.
What if I get my period on surgery day?
It does not prevent surgery. Tell the nursing staff so they can help you manage it.
How long until I can eat?
Usually clear liquids in recovery, then light food once nausea has passed. Appetite is often poor for the first day.
Will I have drains?
Depends on the procedure. Tummy tucks frequently do. They are typically removed at your first or second follow up appointment during your stay.
What if something is found during pre operative testing?
Surgery is postponed until it is resolved. This is uncommon when bloodwork is done in advance, which is why it is requested before you travel.
Planning your procedure
The virtual consultation covers your candidacy, your surgical plan, and what your specific day will look like.
Contact us via WhatsApp or visit drgiudicelli.com.
