South Florida Center for Cosmetic Surgery during COVID-19

The world pandemic has not changed people’s desire to have cosmetic surgery. In fact, many may feel this is an opportune moment to have a surgical procedure as they can work from home during their recovery. There are however special precautions and risks specific to this moment that must be addressed before moving forward.

As the governor lifted restrictions on elective surgeries, we were able to resume surgeries. We continue to operate weekly to this day. Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to provide post-operative care and offer virtual consultations to those interested. We have been able to continue to offer our services with a strict safety protocol in place.

We are responsible for following the COVID-19 safety protocol, and we want to be transparent about the precautions we take as a medical facility to prevent exposure to the virus.

1. Before the Surgery

Every patient is advised to get tested for COVID-19 and complete COVID-19 questionnaires to determine exposure and infection risk. Patients will then email their test results to the center.

We highly recommend patients self-quarantine for 5-7 days before the day of their operation, practice frequent hand-washing and surface sanitizing, avoid contact with other people and animals, and use a separate bathroom.

2. 1 Day Before Surgery

Patients complete much of the necessary preoperative paperwork before coming into the center, reducing the time each patient spends inside our center. Upon arrival, patients check-in while in the parking lot before coming into the building by calling our post-op department. We ask patients to come into the office alone. If the patient is being driven by friends or family members, they will be instructed to wait in the car. Patients must wear a mask before entering the building, during appointments, and after leaving the facility on their way to the car.

When patients arrive at the center, their temperature is taken with a contactless thermometer. If a fever is present, the patient will be instructed to leave and their procedure will be postponed until:
The fever is gone for at least three days without the use of fever-reducing medication,
The patient tests negative for active infection from at least two Nasopharyngeal swab specimens taken at least 24 hours apart,
Or at least 7 days have passed since the symptoms appeared.

After the Pre-Op appointment, we recommend patients eliminate all in-person contacts before their surgery.

We know these requirements may seem harsh to some; however, the health and the safety of our patients and staff members have always been and will remain our top priority.

3. Day of the Surgery

The check-in process on the day of surgery is the same as on the day of the Pre-Op appointment. Patients call when they arrive in the parking lot and only enter the building when instructed to do so. Once again, patients have their temperature taken, and if a fever is present, surgery will be postponed.

4. After the Surgery

After the surgery, the patient’s caregivers meet them outside and must wear a mask. Following surgery, the immune system is compromised. While the body recovers, extra precaution is needed to reduce the risk of exposure.

If patients are transported in a wheelchair, one of our staff members will wheel patients into an elevator and meet them downstairs. This eliminates the need for patients to be in a small, enclosed space with staff.

We recommend patients self-isolate for 7 days following the surgery. Following the same check-in and safety instructions for all Post-Op visits as they did for Pre-Op appointments. Some post-operative consultations are conducted virtually and over the phone to avoid any unnecessary contact with other people.

5. What to expect from our staff.

All staff members check temperature daily, wear protective gear at all times, and keep a distance of 6 feet from patients when possible.

To eliminate large gatherings in the waiting area, all in-person appointments are spread out throughout the day. Patients only enter exam rooms when the previous patient has left, and the room has been sanitized. Our staff members take extra time between the appointments to disinfect the consultation rooms.

The waiting area has been freed of objects, such as magazines, that could potentially get contaminated with the virus.

The surgical staff is instructed to check the temperature daily and before any procedure. The operating room staff is also wearing N95 respirator masks during surgery. The difference between the N95 mask and the regular surgical mask is that the N95 filters out even the very small particles from the air (including bacteria and viruses).

The major adjustment in the OR is the Installation of the viral HEPA filter to the anesthesia machine. It reduces the risk of cross-infections and prevents the contamination of the parts of the machine that are not accessible or easily sanitized.

Medical Spa Patients

MedSpa patients can schedule an appointment by calling 954.533.2917. We do not take walk-ins and encourage all MedSpa patients to book their treatments ahead of time.

MedSpa patients will need to check-in with us in the parking lot by phone, letting us know they have arrived, then enter the building when instructed. Once the consultation room is sanitized, and the previous patient has left the center, the patient is able to enter and avoid waiting areas.

Our MedSpa staff will instruct the patient to wash their hands, take their temperature, and perform the COVID-19 rapid antibody test. It is completely painless and takes about 10-15 minutes.

All MedSpa staff are wearing protective equipment during appointments. MedSpa patients are required to arrive with a mask and leave it on at all times. With the exception of those MedSpa patients having an area covered by the mask treated.

The MedSpa seeds one patient at the time. Our MedSpa does not rotate patients between the waiting room and consulting rooms as was policy before the pandemic. Appointments may take longer on account of these added COVID-19 safety measures. Please coordinate with our MedSpa staff so that you can account for this extra time on your schedule.

If you have any questions about our COVID-19 protocol, the surgery process, or the work of our Medical Spa, don’t hesitate to reach out to your consultant or the Med Spa manager. They will walk you through the process and provide detailed information about any procedure that is offered in our center.

Please continue to stay safe and healthy, and we will do our part to help you achieve your goals safely and responsibly.