Arm Lift, Breast Lift and Hernia Repair All at Once?

Combining procedures can often be done safely depending on the complexity of the procedures, the health of the patient and the risk factors for complications. Each patient must have a thorough evaluation prior to having longer operations that have a large elective or cosmetic component. It is best to have your surgeons and your medical doctor review your specific situation and health issues to evaluate whether you are a good candidate.

Thank you for the question. Combined surgery is very commonly and safely performed. Whether this can be done in your case should be based on careful consultation (history, physical examination, and consideration of risks/complications/operating room time). Based solely on your description, the breast and arm surgery certainly can be done in one session (assuming you are medically cleared to proceed with surgery). The “large hernia” probably... more

I think that if you have a complicated hernia to repair, you may be better off fixing that first and then having the other procedures done at a later time. 

No question- the arm and breast lift can be done safely together- this is a combination that makes a lot of sense. Your complex abdominal wall reconstruction should be done in a hospital setting by an experienced general surgeon. I'm a board certified General Surgeon as well as a plastic surgeon, and I would never consider doing these three operations on anyone. Its going to be tough to find two surgeons willing to work simultaneously to pull off these three big operations. Take care... more

Hi. The breast lift and the arm lift should be done together.  In massive weight loss patients, those incisions have to be coordinated.  But the hernia repair can be a big deal, and I would do that separately.

It is really NOT an issue of CAN they all be done at the same time. It IS an issue of SHOULD these three operations be done together generally and then, in you. As Plastic surgeons were are Surgical Super-Specialists. The vast majority of Plastic surgeons completed and were Board Certified in ANOTHER surgical field BEFORE training in Plastic Surgery -- with the vast majority having trained fully in General Surgery. As a former General Surgeon, I can tell you that Hernias do not get the... more

Hi, Thank you for your question. It techinically is possible. However, it is important to weigh the benefits vs. the risks. Your hernia repair will definitely take prescedent. It is important to take care of the necessities first. I would schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. He/she should consult with your primary doctor and general surgeon and they will figure out what is the best option for you. It may be best to stage the surgeries. It all depends on your... more

I have done many body contouring procedures. I have done these procedures at the same time. However, I had to use a plastic surgeon as an assistant in order to speed up the process. Make sure your surgeon is board certified and that your procedures are being performed at an accredited facility.

It is very common to have multiple proceudres done at the same time in massive weight loss patients. However, the decision is based on the risks vs the benefits of doing multiple surgery, vs individual procedures. You also would need to have an assessment from your medical doctor. As a plastic surgeon we always defer to the primary surgeon and his procedure. If they fel that their procedure should be done by itself we respect that opinion. If they approve then we discuss the positives and... more

But your health status and the size of the hernia are going to have to be carefully considered. If you have a large abdominal hernia, that case will take precedent and if it is an involved procedure, the other cosmetic cases may have to be done later. It would make more sense to do the hernia repair along with a tummy tuck or body lift as the surgeon will already be "in that area."

Although it seems logical to combine surgeries, each of the surgeries you propose has its own risks. Combining many hours of surgery will increase your risks. Sometimes hernia surgery after gastric bypass can be complicated and unpredictable. Your surgeons will likely not be able to work at the same time and that means that your surgery time will be significant. I would consider staging your surgery.

The limitations of surgery are total anesthesia time, risk for blood loss, and electrolyte disturbances. The total time of this surgery is lengthy and may put you at risk for non-surgical morbidities, including DVT and cardiopulmonary problems. Consider staging your surgeries in order to decrease your risk of complications.