Combining Surgery: Facelift with a Blepharoplasty / Eyelid Tuck

The decision to proceed with a cosmetic surgical procedure is often difficult for the patient. In terms of the procedures you wish to undergo, speak directly with an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon to understand the risks, benefits, and complexities of each anatomic area. Fortunately, in the choice of an upper blepharoplasty and mini facelift, the two anatomic areas are independent of each other and choosing to do the procedures separately or together are both appropriate. It is advisable to have the procedure done by one surgeon, but in your particular case, you may feel more comfortable dividing the procedures and having two surgeons perform them individually.

You should, by all means, tell each physician what your plans are without feeling uncomfortable. A solid plastic surgeon should not feel insecure about having another surgeon perform another procedure. In any case, all the advice given to you in this column point to one fact: As plastic surgeons, we are all committed to keeping you safe and out of harms way. Plastic surgery should be meticulously performed by professional surgeons who are committed to safety and outstanding results.

You should be able to have the procedure done by a single competent plastic surgeon, with one single recovery period, not to mention one operating room fee.

If you have a specific reconstructive problem that warrants an opthalmologist such as ptosis, tear duct issues or strabismus, most plastic surgeons work with opthalmologists who could perform that portion of the procedure at the same time as you are having your face done.

The style of the surgeon performing the surgery will be very important.  Surgeons have different artistic goals.  Some are more aggressive, some less.  Some remove a lot of fat around the eyes, some none.  Some remodel the fat, etc.  If you have decided to stage your surgeries, your surgeon should consider overall facial harmony.  You probably wouldn't want to have one surgery done, and cause a disharmony until the second surgery is done.

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In the ideal world many patients  who wish to have more than one procedure done would like to have them done at the same time.  However there are many reasons ( time off work, financial etc)  patients may not be able to do all the procedures at the same time.  I find that patientsa are happiest when they do the procedure that corrects what bothers them the most first.  In this case if the appearance of the eyes that bothers you most then do the eyelift first.  If your neck bothers you the most then do the facelift first.  Remember this is for you so is your choice !

Unless there is some overriding concern about the surgical skill or artistic ability of one surgeon to do both of these common procedures to your satisfaction, you would be better served to choose one surgeon competent to perform both procedures, and have them both done at the same operative setting. There are several advantages to this approach, including one operative procedure, one anesthetic, and one period of recuperation and disability.

Another advantage of the one surgeon, multiple procedure approach is that, like a symphony orchestra, there can be only one conductor, or else there may be chaos. A single surgeon is more likely to see "the whole picture" and produce a more-harmonious result than what is likely to come from an "all-star" Three Musketeers team appproach.

You should find one surgeon who can "do it all" for you, with these common "go-together" procedures. One for all is better than two for one (you).

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