Preoperative Assessment & Postoperative Care Flashcards
7 cards from real ABPS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Preoperative Assessment & Postoperative Care flashcards as text
When counseling a patient preoperatively for breast reduction, which symptom assessment is most important for insurance authorization?
Answer: Neck and back pain documentation
Documentation of symptomatic neck and back pain, along with conservative treatment failures, is typically required by insurers for coverage of reduction mammaplasty.
What is the primary purpose of a preoperative marking session in rhinoplasty?
Answer: Identifying anatomical landmarks and planning the surgical approach
Preoperative markings define anatomical landmarks, plan osteotomy sites, and guide the surgical technique specific to each patient's nasal anatomy.
A patient on chronic SSRI therapy undergoes elective rhinoplasty. The most important perioperative concern related to SSRIs is:
Answer: Impaired platelet aggregation and increased bleeding risk
SSRIs inhibit serotonin reuptake in platelets, reducing platelet aggregation and increasing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding risk.
Which patient characteristic most strongly predicts poor wound healing following plastic surgery?
Answer: Active tobacco smoking
Active smoking causes vasoconstriction and tissue hypoxia, significantly impairing wound healing and increasing risk of flap necrosis and dehiscence.
Postoperative fever on day 1 after a major plastic surgery procedure is most likely caused by:
Answer: Atelectasis
Atelectasis is the most common cause of fever in the first 24–48 hours postoperatively due to shallow breathing and mucus plugging after general anesthesia.
A patient develops a seroma 2 weeks after abdominoplasty. What is the first-line management?
Answer: Aspiration under sterile technique
Aspiration under sterile technique is the first-line management for postoperative seroma, providing immediate relief and diagnostic fluid sampling.
Which preoperative finding would prompt postponement of an elective liposuction procedure?
Answer: Blood pressure of 165/105 mmHg on arrival
Uncontrolled hypertension (BP >160/100 mmHg) warrants postponement of elective surgery due to elevated risk of intraoperative cardiovascular events and bleeding.