32 answers
The questions people ask most often about aesthetic surgery and medicine: before, during and after. General, honest answers; for your own case, the right answer comes at the consultation.
01 · Before surgery
It is a conversation with the surgeon. You explain what you would like, the doctor takes your medical history, examines you and explains what can realistically be achieved: technique, risks, alternatives and recovery times. There is no commitment: you decide afterwards, in your own time.
Yes. Before any procedure you receive clear information on benefits, risks, alternatives and recovery, and you sign an informed consent form: it is your right under Italian law (Law 219/2017) and the right moment to ask every question you have.
The surgeon and the anaesthetist decide based on the procedure, your age and your medical history: for example blood tests and a heart check-up and, for breast surgery, any breast imaging that may be needed.
Yes, and it is one of the most useful things you can do. Smoking reduces the oxygen reaching the tissues: wounds heal more slowly and the risk of infection rises. The usual advice is to stop at least 8 weeks before surgery.
Bring a complete list of the medicines and supplements you take to the consultation: some, such as blood thinners, need to be paused or managed before surgery. Don’t stop anything on your own: the doctor will decide.
For purely cosmetic breast implants, yes: Italian Law 86/2012 prohibits them before the age of 18. For other procedures the surgeon assesses each case individually, and anyone under 18 needs their parents’ consent.
Sometimes, for example a breast lift with implants, or liposculpture combined with abdominoplasty. It depends on the total operating time, your health and the anaesthetist’s opinion.
02 · Anaesthesia and surgery
It depends on the procedure: general, for example, for abdominoplasty, breast reduction and rhinoplasty; often local with sedation for blepharoplasty; general or local for breast augmentation and liposuction, depending on the extent. The treatment pages give general guidance.
In accredited healthcare facilities
From under an hour for a small liposuction to about 2–3 hours for a breast reduction. Many procedures allow discharge the same day or after one night; some, such as a more extensive abdominoplasty, require a few days.
Not during the procedure. Afterwards, discomfort is managed with the medication prescribed by the doctor: after breast augmentation, for example, soreness usually eases within 4–6 days.
03 · After surgery
It depends on the procedure and on your job. A few examples: after breast augmentation, daily activities usually resume within 2–3 days; after a breast lift, about two weeks at home; after a small liposuction, recovery takes about a week.
Later: after breast augmentation, intense exercise usually resumes after at least 2–3 weeks; after abdominoplasty, strenuous effort should be avoided for 4–6 weeks. The surgeon gives the go-ahead at your check-up.
Often, yes: a support bra after breast surgery, a compression garment after liposuction and abdominoplasty. The surgeon will tell you for how long and for how many hours a day.
Every surgical procedure leaves a scar: the surgeon plans it where it is least visible, for example in natural folds. It matures over many months, during which it should be protected from the sun.
Swelling and bruising fade within a few weeks, but the result settles more slowly: usually 2–3 months for breast augmentation, and as long as 6–12 months for rhinoplasty.
The doctor himself, with scheduled check-ups and a direct point of contact throughout your recovery.
04 · Breast and implants
The average lifespan of an implant is 10–20 years. There is no single replacement date for everyone: what matters is monitoring over time, with the check-ups and scans your surgeon recommends.
In many cases, yes: it depends on the technique and the incision chosen. If you are planning a pregnancy, mention it at the consultation: it is an important factor in planning the procedure.
Yes. Always tell whoever performs the scan that you have implants, so they can use the most suitable technique.
Italian Law 86/2012 set up a national register of breast implants: it allows patients to be followed over time and contacted quickly if a particular type of implant ever needs to be checked.
It can, as can large changes in weight. For procedures such as a breast lift or abdominoplasty, the usual advice is to wait until you have completed your family and your weight is stable.
05 · Aesthetic medicine
The result appears within a few days (4 to 15) and lasts up to about 4 months; the treatment can then be repeated.
It depends on the area treated, the product and the person. Non-surgical rhinoplasty, for example, usually lasts 6–12 months.
Usually not: you can return to daily activities straight away. Small areas of redness or bruising may appear at the injection points and fade within a few days.
Yes: if needed, the filler can be dissolved with an enzyme, hyaluronidase, administered by the doctor.
06 · Practical matters
The Marano di Napoli practice is open Tuesday 13:00–20:30 · Friday 11:00–15:00. You book the day, with no fixed time: we’ll see you during opening hours.
Consultations take place in person only, at the practice in Marano di Napoli, near Naples. Choose the opening day that best suits your travel plans, and call us for directions.
We don’t publish price lists: the cost depends on each case and is set after the consultation, with a written quote explaining what it includes.
For Italian taxpayers, purely cosmetic procedures are not deductible. Procedures with a therapeutic or reconstructive purpose, for example after injury, illness or malformation, can be deducted at 19% with the required medical documentation (Italian Revenue Agency, resolution 71/E of 2015). If you pay tax in another country, the rules there apply: check with your tax adviser.
Please don’t: photos and medical information are reviewed with the doctor in person, at the consultation. WhatsApp is for practical matters only.
Let the practice know by phone or email, so the day can be offered to other patients.
These answers are general information and do not replace a medical consultation: suitability, risks and timings always depend on the individual case. Sources: patient information from Italian hospitals, Fondazione Veronesi, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Italian Revenue Agency.
