Pacific Plastic Surgery Group | San Francisco, CA

Dr. Sheldon S. Kabaker

77 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 302
San Francisco, CA 94102
  • About
    • About Dr. Miranda
    • About Dr. Dudas
    • About Dr. Kabaker
    • Our Staff
    • Cosmetic Surgery Options
    • Fellowship Program
    • Media
    • Blog
  • Hair Restoration
    • Hair Transplant
    • Hairline Lowering
    • Hair Surgery for Women
    • Scalp Laxity Examples
    • Ethnic Hair
    • Additional Hair Information
  • Facelift
  • Cosmetic Surgery
    • Rhinoplasty
    • Revision Rhinoplasty
    • Midface Lift
    • Blepharoplasty
    • Brow Lift
    • Otoplasty & Earlobe
    • Facial Implants
    • Lip Enhancement
    • Scar Repair
    • Botox Cosmetic
    • Facial Fillers
    • More about Cosmetic Surgery
  • Photos
    • Facial Surgery
      • Asian Eyelid
      • Blepharoplasty
      • Browlift
      • Cheek Implant
      • Chin Implant
      • Direct Excision Of Neck Skin
      • Earlobe Repair
      • Facelift
      • Fat Transfer
      • Forehead
      • Keloid Removal
      • Lips
      • Nasolabial
      • Neck Lift
      • Otoplasty
      • Rhinoplasty
      • Scar Revision
      • Sub Mental Liposuction
      • Sub Nasal Lip Lift
    • Non-Surgical
      • Chemical Resurfacing
    • Hair Restoration
      • Follicular Unit Hair Grafting
      • Hair Line Lowering
      • Hair Eyebrow Transplant
      • Hair Mustache Transplant
      • Hair Reconstructive Scalp
      • Repair of prior hair plug cases
  • Reviews
    • Dr. Kabaker
    • Dr. Miranda
    • Dr. Dudas
  • Patient Portal
    • Out of Town
  • Financing
  • Contact Us
    • San Francisco
Blog » Is it ok to stay on my medication when I have my facelift?

Is it ok to stay on my medication when I have my facelift?

by Dr. Kabaker

Question: I’m on hormone replacement therapy for hypothyroidism and menopause. Is it ok to stay on my medication when I have my facelift? Are there any risks?

Answer: Medical therapy for hypothyroidism should almost always be continued at the time of surgery.  Although facelift is a relatively lower-risk procedure, it can take several hours and patients are under various amounts of anesthesia during this time. Thyroid function is important for blood pressure control, which is also affected by anesthesia. Elevated blood pressure can lead to increased bleeding during a facelift and possibly result in a hematoma, which is blood that accumulates under the skin and may require another surgery to remove. Blood pressure that is too low can also be a problem during surgery, especially when combined with anesthesia. For these reasons, it is important to have normal thyroid function or have hypothyroidism appropriately treated. Estrogen hormone replacement therapy is more controversial. While there is no risk to the facelift result per se, the concern is over the potential increased risk of blood clot formation, which can be fatal. This risk is further increased in patients with other risk factors, such as smoking. Some surgeons will allow patients to remain on estrogen hormone replacement therapy at the time of surgery, despite the increased risk. The specific plan should be discussed in detail with the plastic surgeon and the physician who prescribes the estrogen replacement (i.e. primary care physician, gynecologist, etc.), taking into consideration the patient’s risk factors. Consultation from a hematologist could be considered in complex scenarios, but is it generally advisable to select a more cautious approach.  While the specific recommendations regarding estrogen replacement therapy are continuously evolving as more research data is available, the consensus at this time is that it is appropriate for short-term control of menopausal symptoms, but that prolonged use is not advised due to increased risk of cardiovascular and other complications.

Share this page

(415) 379-9015
Contact Us
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

PHOTOGALLERY

Facial Plastic Surgery in Oakland
View a collection of Facial Plastic surgery before and after photos to understand how this procedure can rejuvenate your appearance.
View More
Surgery Blog in California Oakland, California Realself ABFPRS in California Hair Transplant in Oakland Credited Logo | Oakland IMQ | Oakland
Dr. Kabaker in facebook | Oakland Dr. Kabaker in Twitter | Oakland Dr. Kabaker in Realself | Oakland Dr. Kabaker in Pinterest | Oakland Dr. Kabaker in Yelp | Oakland Dr. Kabaker in Instagram | Oakland
Surgery Blog in California Oakland, California Realself ABFPRS in California Hair Transplant in Oakland Credited Logo | Oakland IMQ | Oakland

4.9 stars - based on 30 reviews

77 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94102 | (415) 379-9015 | © 2025 Dr. Sheldon S. Kabaker. All Rights Reserved.

HIPAA Disclosure | Site Map | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cosmetic Surgery Marketing by Surgeons Advisor

Dr. Sheldon Kabaker