Flu season fat grafting
Autologous fat grafting, or lipofilling, uses the patient's own fat to sculpt contours and restore volume. During influenza season, elective procedures require careful timing to minimize infection risk and ensure safe recovery. Surgeons coordinate with patients to avoid performing fat grafting during active influenza symptoms or fever.
Highly trained teams emphasize sterile technique, meticulous fat handling, and precise placement to optimize outcomes. Choosing an experienced surgeon who performs many fat grafting cases helps reduce variability and complications. Preoperative assessment includes checking immune status and ensuring the patient is in good overall health.
Preop planning during flu
Preoperative planning during influenza concerns involves aligning surgical timing with vaccination schedules and seasonal risk. Thorough medical history review identifies recent infections, medications, and immune status that could affect healing. Clear communication with the patient about expected recovery timelines helps prevent ill-timed flare-ups from flu symptoms.
Anesthesia choice is tailored to patient health and procedure scope, balancing comfort with safety. Facility readiness includes air filtration, sterilization, and visitor policies to protect vulnerable patients. Scheduling often prioritizes periods of lower influenza activity to minimize exposure.
Postop care and recovery
Postoperative care for fat grafting focuses on swelling control, infection prevention, and gradual activity resumption. During influenza season, extra attention is given to hygiene, mask-wearing, and avoiding crowded places during early healing. Compression garments or support devices may be used to support grafted areas during initial weeks.
Monitoring for signs of fat graft survival, edema, or infection guides timely interventions. Patients are advised to report fever, redness, or increasing pain promptly to their care team. Follow-up appointments help adjust care plans and assess contour stability as tissues settle.
Vaccination and safety
Proactive influenza vaccination before elective fat grafting can reduce respiratory risk and support a smoother recovery. Clinicians typically recommend completing vaccination weeks before surgery when feasible, allowing immune response to normalize. Some patients plan surgery in periods of lower influenza activity to minimize exposure and post-procedure disruptions.
Beyond vaccination, standard infection-prevention practices, hand hygiene, and masking remain essential during the postoperative phase. Patients are advised to maintain good nutrition, sleep, and stress management to support healing. Care teams coordinate with primary care to ensure timely vaccinations and follow-up care after the procedure.