The Two Weeks Before Surgery: A Real Preparation Checklist

Two weeks is the right window. Earlier than that and your motivation drifts. Later than that and you're rushing the parts that actually matter — the supplements that need to be out of your system, the food that needs to be in it, the home that needs to be ready when you walk back through the door.

This is the real two weeks before plastic surgery checklist — not the version that says "stay hydrated and rest." The version our nurses walk every Recovery House Medellín patient through, day by day, in the fortnight before they board their flight.

14 to 10 Days Before — Foundations

This week is about clearing your system and topping off your nutrient stores.

Stop blood-thinning supplements and over-the-counter meds. Most patients are surprised by how long this list is. Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, garlic supplements, St. John's Wort, and high-dose turmeric. If you're on a prescribed blood thinner, you need surgeon clearance first — never stop those on your own. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is usually safe for pain, but confirm with your surgeon.

Confirm your pre-op lab results have been received and reviewed. If anything looks off, this is the week to address it. Iron a little low? Start an oral supplement now. Vitamin D below target? Your skin healing needs it.

Schedule a pre-op nutrition consult with us. Twenty minutes on a video call. We'll review what you're eating now and bridge it toward where it needs to be by surgery day.

Begin protein loading. Aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for these last two weeks. Tissue rebuild starts well before the first incision.

9 to 7 Days Before — Sleep, Food, Body

Now the focus shifts to making your body ready for the work it's about to do.

Lock in sleep regularity. Same bedtime, same wake time, 7 to 9 hours. Recovery sleep gets harder if your circadian rhythm is already scrambled walking in.

Ramp up hydration. Aim for 2.5 to 3 liters of water per day. Plain water counts. Coffee and alcohol don't.

Stop alcohol entirely. It slows wound healing, raises bleeding risk, and disrupts the sleep your body is about to need.

Stop nicotine if you haven't already. This is the big one. Nicotine constricts the blood vessels that deliver oxygen to your healing tissue. Most surgeons require a minimum of two weeks abstinence — four is better, six is ideal. This includes vapes and nicotine patches.

Keep exercise light. This is not the week to start a new program. Walks, gentle yoga, swimming. No heavy lifting, no high-intensity intervals.

Begin mental preparation. Five minutes of quiet each morning. Visualize yourself waking up calm. Write down what you're looking forward to about being on the other side of this.

6 to 3 Days Before — Logistics and Home Setup

This is the practical week. You'll thank yourself for handling these now.

Pack the recovery house bag. We send every patient our packing list two weeks before arrival. Loose button-front shirts, comfortable bottoms, slip-on shoes, your prescribed medications, your favorite small comforts. Skip anything tight or overhead.

Arrange travel insurance and confirm your documents. Passport valid more than six months past your travel date. A copy of your medical clearance letter. Travel insurance that covers medical events.

Notify your support contacts. Give two trusted people your arrival and recovery dates plus our recovery house address. Not because anything will go wrong — but because peace of mind matters.

Set up your home for return. Bed risers if you'll need them. Frequently used kitchen items moved to counter level so you don't have to reach. Frozen meals or grocery delivery scheduled for your first week home. A clear path from your bedroom to the bathroom — no rugs to trip on when you're groggy.

Confirm payment to your surgeon and recovery house. Plastik Tour patients pay surgeons directly — confirm wire instructions one final time.

2 Days Before — Calm and Clean

The last 48 hours are about settling.

Last grocery run. Anything you'll want when you get back home.

Small tasks before the no-touch window. Haircut, nails, eyebrows — any maintenance you won't be able to do for two to three weeks.

Skin clean and moisturized. No new products this week. Stop retinols and acids three to five days out unless your surgeon says otherwise.

Light, easy meals. Now is not the time to try a new restaurant.

The Day Before Surgery

Hydrate through the day. Stop water at the time your surgeon specifies — usually midnight.

Final fasting per your surgeon's instructions. Most are "nothing by mouth after midnight." Some allow clear water until two hours before. Follow the exact instruction you were given.

Lay out tomorrow's clothes. Loose button-front shirt, slip-on shoes, no underwire, no jewelry. Have your ID, payment confirmation, and prescribed medications in one bag.

Early bedtime. No screens after 9 p.m. A walk, a warm shower, light reading, sleep.

Surgery Day — What to Bring, What to Leave

Bring: ID, payment confirmation, prescribed medications in original bottles, phone and charger, lip balm, hair tie, a comfortable change of clothes for after.

Leave: Jewelry, valuables, contact lenses, makeup. Glasses are fine.

Wear: Button-front top, no underwire, no metal in clothing. Comfortable bottoms. Slip-on shoes.

A Note on Mental Preparation

The shift from "I'm going to do this" to "I'm doing this" can stir up anxiety, even for patients who've been certain for months. That's normal.

Three prompts that help most patients:

• What does my life look like six weeks from now, when I'm on the other side?

• What's the kindest thing I can do for myself in the next 14 days?

• Who am I doing this for, and what would I want them to see when I show up?

There's no right answer. Writing them down is the point.

Your Two Weeks, Step by Step

Knowing what to do — and when — is what turns the two weeks before surgery from anxious waiting into purposeful preparation. Patients who walk through this checklist arrive ready, calm, and already healing better.