Frequently Asked Questions

What are the average recovery times and how do they vary when multiple procedures are done?

Since we offer a wide range of different services and each specific case is different, recovery periods vary a lot. It’s best to ask your doctor for his estimate during your virtual consultation, but these are some average estimates.

If I live thousands of miles away, how is follow-up care handled? How does the doctor stay in contact with me?

Doctors are contacted by telephone, by e-mail or any other digital tool that is required to track your case.

What qualifications must COSMED plastic surgeons and dermatologists obtain in order to join the medical team?

All of our surgeons are Board Certified. Visit the Medical Team page and learn more about each of the doctors that integrate the VIDA concept.

What is a “Virtual Consultation”?

Virtual Consultation is a remote consultation where you get in touch with our doctors so they can give you an estimate of the procedure(s) you require and an approximate quote.

I do not live near San Diego. Is it ok for me to have my pre-op consultation the day before or the day of surgery?

Many of our patients come from hundreds or thousands of miles away, which is why we have a system where we receive pictures via email and doctors communicate by telephone with you to resolve doubts. By having this information, the pre-op consultation can wait until the day before the surgery for a consultation in person.

A lot of doctors perform their surgeries at an offsite facility. At VIDA, where are the surgeries performed?

At VIDA we have our own certified recovery beds, nursing staff with training, and an after-surgery surgical center. We also have a Recovery Boutique, hotel service with nurses with food, wifi, and phone included.

What is the recovery protocol during the first week after surgery?

Healing Feelings After Surgery

Healing feelings are a natural consequence of the disruption of normal anatomy following surgical trauma and injury. The normal process of healing following an injury to the body, whether it is by accident or by surgery, it is basically the same and consists of following a sequence of events.

Scar tissue is Mother Nature’s epoxy glue for the process of healing an individual. The glue begins to set right after surgery and becomes very solid after approximately 3 weeks. At that time, lumps, redness, hardness, and stiffness, of all the wounds occur whether on the face, the nose, incisions about the eyes, breast, abdomen, or any other part of the body. Some difficulty in moving the muscles around the nose, eyes, cheeks, mouth, and neck may be noticed by the patient. These feelings are only temporary provided there is no major nerve damage, which is extremely rare!

It is commonly thought that some people and young people heal faster and better than others and therefore, scar tissue and the healing feeling process occur more rapidly. Unfortunately, this is not exactly the case. Healthy bodies in young people make more of Mother Nature’s scar tissue glue because of the fact that they are healthy. The older the patient becomes the less the tendency to make this hard scar tissue and the shorter time before it subsides.

In addition, skin types are important. People with fair skin and blue eyes tend to make less scar tissue for a shorter period of time during the healing process. People with olive skin, thick and oily skin and dark eyes tend to make the firmer, harder, lumpier scar tissue, which takes longer and more unpredictable time to subside.

In addition, the patient probably will have to some degree symptoms of itching, minor sharp shooting pains, dull aches, pins & needles sensations, and other strange feelings that confirm the healing process. These are just some of the typical kinds of healing feelings.

Healing feelings have to be lived through and experienced by the patient until they subside. There is no other course of action. Treatment of these feelings may be done by the judicious use of analgesics such as Tylenol, warm and cold treatments, and even alcohol or witch hazel swabbed on the surface of the area. However, only the doctor and his staff should recommend these modalities of treatment after consultation and recommendation. In no case should a patient treat himself without medical advice and approval.

Some patients are more sensitive than others. Each person experiences “healing feelings” in different degrees. They may persist for a prolonged period of time, even as long as one year or sometimes longer. In the usual course of events, most patients do not complain about these sensations for very long, usually a few weeks at most.

When the feeling process is explained to the patient by the doctor and his staff, most patients find these sensations and minor discomforts tolerable until they subside. In some patients, these feelings may persist for months or longer.

It is most important to communicate these feelings to your doctor or his staff. They should be evaluated to distinguish them from potential complications such as infection. In the vast majority of instances, however, there are no associated complications, only the discomfort of Mother Nature’s healthy healing process.

In summary, you should take the attitude that unless the doctor personally notifies you of problems or complications relating to your surgery, the vast majority of your healing feelings and concerns over various areas of asymmetry, lumpiness, stiffness or other details, is for the most part a part of the normal healing process and will resolve to a degree which is totally acceptable to most patients within one year.

Time is the important element in the resolution of healing feelings, asymmetries due to surgery (as opposed to those present before surgery), and “lumps and bumps” problems. At the end of one year or occasionally sooner, there is a very small percentage of patients who will request or require minor corrections or revisions.

Please have patience and enjoy your surgery throughout this period of time.

We want you to know how much we sincerely appreciate your giving all of our staff the opportunity to share and participate in your very personal surgical experience.

What are the labs required by the medical team prior to surgery?

What labs are required depends on the procedure being performed. If we do need laboratory tests, the doctor will tell you which ones are required.

I am thinking about flying into San Diego for surgery. Are there transportation services available to take me from the airport to CosMed/ VIDA Wellness & Beauty?

We are proud to provide a service where you do not worry about anything. We organize your relocation needs from the San Diego International Airport, train or bus to VIDA and back.

What hotel and aftercare facilities are available near COSMED/ VIDA Wellness & Beauty?

We recommend our Recovery Boutique, which is in our facility. But also we have agreements with very nice hotels in our area. Our friendly staff will help you make reservations at a discounted rate.

For additional information or assistance contact VIDA Wellness and Beauty by calling 1 (619) 610-1667 (toll-free).