Is 7 Hours Under General Anesthesia Standard For Combination Procedures?

I am scheduled for a lower facelift, upper and lower blemph, fat grafting for the hollowness in my face and demanrasion around my mouth. I am starting to get anxious. Can all these procedures be done at one time? Is it safe?

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28 Doctor Answers | Asked by Sara in Austin

Doctor Answers (28)
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Length of time to be under general anesthesia

The lower face upper and lower blepharoplasty and any fat grafting would take approximately 4 hours in our practice. These procedures are performed under general anesthesia and this is certainly acceptable to have all these procedures performed at the same time.

How long is too long for facelift under general anesthesia?

As you can tell from the replies so far, there is no standard approach for either the type of anesthesia or length of time for a facelift. My personal view is that outpatient surgery should be limited to 6 hours, and that seems reasonable for the list of things in your plan.

Multiple procedures in 7 hrs

Hi Sara, In my practice, I limit time spent under general anesthesia to no more than 6 hrs. Ofcourse, this is my opinion. I am not one to put my patients at unnecessary risk for elective surgery. There is just no reason to justify it. Please make sure you are dealing with a Board Certified Plastic surgeon and that he actually has the credentials he claims. Best wishes, Dr. H

Multiple Facial Procedures and 7 Hours of Anesthesia

I typically perform upper and lower eyelid surgery, facial fat grafting, and full face and neck lift in about 3 or 3.5 hours. However, some of the best plastic surgeons with the best results take 6 hours just for the facelift. I think most plastic surgeons would agree that 6 hours for facial surgery is not unreasonable. What is the difference between 6 hrs and 7 hrs of general anesthesia? This may not be unreasonable. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA more

Length of time under general anesthesia

7 hours is not unusual for multiple facial procedures, especially if a rhinoplasty is done along with a full facelift. The most important thing is your health and ability to tolerate general anesthesia, followed by the credentials of your surgeon and anesthesiologist. Your surgeon should be diligent in "checking you out" prior to surgery (labs, clearance, etc.). Finally, make sure it is performed in an accredited facility!

Roy A. David, MD

11 reviews

San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

Time under Anesthesia

Seven hours seems rather long to me. I rarely work for more than five hours. More complications occur after 5 hours, although most patients will survive seven hours without any complications, you are having elective cosmetic surgery so any complication is not worth the extra time. Often the expected time turns out to be more than was planned on. Have a thorough discussion with your surgeon.

7 hours of anesthesia for comprehensive facial rejuvenation is safe and is not unusual

7 hours of anesthesia for comprehensive facial rejuvenation is safe and is not unusual. I do agree with my colleagues that seven hours for the procedures you've described is on the longer end of the expected time to complete the procedure. However, every surgeon has their own technique and time estimates vary. Further, these are only estimates and most surgeons will round up the time as opposed to round down the time. Most importantly, that amount of time under anesthesia is neither unusual... more

Multiple procedures performed under general anesthesia

As long as you are in good health and cleared for surgery by your physician, it is ok to have all of these procedures performed at the same time. Depending on the patient's age, I will normally recommend the following prior to having any surgery, especially one with multiple procedures: 1) Full physical exam by a board certified physician 2) Complete cardiovascular work-up 3) Stress test performed by board certified cardiologist (Usually for older patients) I... more

Length of time under general anesthesia

While it is common to combine procedures, the combination must be carefully crafted to be appropriate for the patient. For outpatient surgery, the plan should generally limit the time under general anesthesia to 4 - 6 hours depending on the health and capacity of the patient. At seven hours, you may want to consider having the surgeries performed in stages or at the hospital. Consult in person with 3 - 4 experienced and expert board certified plastic surgeons to verify your options. more

Is combining procedures safe?

It is very common to combine cosmetic procedures. The procedures that you are scheduled for sounds like a very reasonable undertaking. It is important that you are thoroughly evaluated medically to ensure that you can tolerate a more lengthy procedure safely. Typically, I would request medical clearance from your primary care physician with lab work as well as a chest xray and an EKG. If you are in good health and are having the procedure done in an accredited facility with an experienced... more