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If You Have a Malignant Tumor on the Tail of Pancreas Should You Get a 6 Hour Face Lift

asked 6 months ago by whenshedreams in Burlington, ON
Latest answer by Sam Naficy, MD
Question viewed 284 times
Tags: risk, tumor

My friend has a 10cm maligant tumor on tail of pancreas. He is having a 6 hour face lift soon. He was not honest with the plastic surgeon and did not tell him about his cancer. What are his risks. Thank you

23 answers to If You Have a Malignant Tumor on the Tail of Pancreas Should You Get a 6 Hour Face Lift

Facelift and cancer.

WHAT IS YOUR FRIEND THINKING OF???? He should tell his surgeon and deal with the tumor first and a facelift can always be done later.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Facelift and Pancreatic cancer

Your friend is doing a major dis-service to not only himself but to the unknowing plastic surgeon. Patients with malignancies are at a higher risk of developing DVT and pulmonary embolism. I don't know anyone who would recommend surgery in this situation. If the malignancy is really in the tail, it might be able to be surgically treated and potentially cured. Your friend should concentrate his energy on that.

Ronald Schuster, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.drschuster.com

Pancreas Tumor and Facelift

Your friend's unfortunate situation can put him at risk if he is having a facelift. An active malignancy is a risk factor for serious blood clots (DVT and PE) after surgery. He really should discuss this with his surgeon and primary care physician. There may be other associated risks depending on him full medical condition.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Facelist and Pancreatic Tumor

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. He should really have his pancreatic tumor addressed before pursuing any elective surgery. His risks include increased risk for blood clots (deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism). Please urge him to have his pancreatic tumor taken care of first and be honest with his plastic surgeon.

Kimberly Lee, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift in Man with Pancreatic Cancer

Your friend has total freedom to do what he wants, but it is unfair to himself and his surgeon if he is not honest with his surgeon. The surgeon will evaluate him in light of his malignancy and the potential added risks. I personally would not operate on this man until the tumor has been treated.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift when pancreatic cancer is present

This one is easy. Your friend should hold off on the facelift and have the tumor treated. Once the treatment has been completed, then they can revisit the facelift issue. The risks have already been discussed. In addition, if there are complications with the facelift, it could delay getting treatment for the cancer. I hope you can convince your friend to do the right thing.

Paul W. Loewenstein, MD
Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon

Malignant Pancreas Tumor and Planned Facelift

You are a good and insightful friend to ask this question! I would not perform a facelift in this situation - t does not matter if the surgery takes 2 or 6 hours. Your friend is at a significant risk for complications during surgery or in the recovery phase. First things first: The cancer should be successfully treated before cosmetic facial surgery!

Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drfechner.com

Do not have the surgery

This is an important example of why you need to be honest with your surgeon. Having a serious cancer or medical condition and not telling your surgeon can put you at incredible risk. If they are hiding it because they are afraid their surgeon will not operate on them, there is a very good reason the surgeon would not operate on them - high operative risk. It is unfair to put that surgeon in such a situation. While you expect your surgeon to be completely honest with... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Denial.

I think that very few surgeons would support this activity if they were aware of your friends health status. However, the story is somewhat improbable. Patients undergoing this type of surgery are usually required to obtain surgical clearance by their internist. The history of the cancer would be front and center of this assessment. For the tumor to have been discovered, your friend must have abnormal laboratory findings, weight loss, or other symptoms. Over... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Pancreatic Mass and Facelift

This is a very difficult situation that could possibly have catastrophic consequences were your friend to proceed with the surgery without informing the surgeon and anesthesiologist. He should inform them so that an informed decision can be made by all parties as to whether to proceed with the procedure.

Donald Griffin, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

It' NEVER a Good Idea to Hide Significant Health Information from ANY Doctor involved in Your Care

Hi there- PLEASE talk your friend into sharing all of his information with his surgeon. The details of the situation will be important- but communication is the most important first step in responsible health care delivery.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

You need to discuss this with your friend

Your friend is a high risk of complications post surgery as stated by other surgeons. Your friend need to discuss his medical condition with his surgeon and delay the surgery till the pancreatic cancer treated. He may have good response to resection and chemo since the tumor is at the tali of the pancreas.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Malignant tumor with surgery

This is a very serious situation and your friend should discuss this with his surgeon. Treatment of the tumor should come first. If your friend believes that he is terminal and that this is his last treat he should have some counseling first. Very few surgeons would operate without those conditions.

Michael L. Schwartz, MD
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.palmbeachface.com

Facelift with a terminal illness

Depending on a personal relative state of health, an illness such as pancreatic cancer may not preclude facelift if someone is motivated to have one. For some it may not be the best use of time or resources, though for others it may give them peace and satisfaction. Personnally we have completed a rhinoplasty on someone in a similar situation, and a breast reconstruction on another with satisfaction and gratitude. How can we judge the meaning felt to others. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Face lit with pancreatic cancer

I personally would not operate on someone with pancreatic cancer. Your question raises a very salient issue, namely, what happens when a patient, believing that a medical condition will cause the plastic surgeon to decline to operate, withholds pertinent medical information? This can be quite dangerous for the patient and a breach of trust in terms of the relationship with the surgeon. It is highly likely that your friend's preoperative testing will not be within normal limits and that,... more

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Pancreatic tumor and facelift

While it is not anyone to judge what a person should or shouldn't do with his life (eg., our former President jumped out of an airplane at 80), but not being honest with one's doctor is inviting potential unnecessary risk. Whatever the withheld or untruthful information might be, science doesn't care how you divulge the truth, only what the truth is. Robin T.W. Yuan, M.D.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Facelift Surgery with Pancreatic Cancer

Thank you for the thought provoking question. Obviously, is in your friend's best interests to be spending his time and energy seeking treatment for the malignant tumor. It is somewhat surprising that a tumor that large is not causing obvious signs or symptoms. Having said that, your friend has a right to make decisions how he chooses to spend the remainder of his life. Hopefully he understands that the prognosis of a malignant tumor on the tail of the pancreas is... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Bad idea

Cancer can have significant effects on recovery from surgery and the stress of surgery can make the cancer grow more out of control. This underscores the importance of honesty in a doctor-patient relationship.

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift - If You Have a Malignant Tumor on the Tail of Pancreas Should You Get a 6 Hour Face Lift

Yikes - this does not sound like a good idea. Malignancy is associated with many other problems, not the least of which is an increased tendency for blood clots and emboli. It is hard to imagine that your friend would not have been honest with the plastic surgeon. A full medical clearance is appropriate for this procedure, in any patient, at any time. At this point, the surgery may be complete and, hopefully, everything went well. In general, though, it is NOT... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Health vs. Cosmetic Surgery

Nobody NEEDS cosmetic surgery but treatment of a pancreatic tumor is absolutely necessary. I strongly suggest your friend takes care of this problem prior to undergoing a facelift.

Jacob Freiman, MD
Miami Beach Plastic Surgeon

Malignant pancreatic tumor and considering facelift.

First, the patient should not conceal information from the Doctor. It has been said that Physicians are only as good as what they learn from the patient, and that 80% of diagnosis is from the history. That being said, your friend is placing himself at increased risk from complications. Many cancer patients are at increased risk of blood clots during surgery, and this can have disaterous results. Moreover, your friend's cancer may be treatable. I... more

Jeffrey Roth, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Pancreatic cancer and facelift

This poses serious risks for complication. It is never a good idea to withhold information from your doctor. I imagine your friend want his surgeon to be open and honest with him. Doctors also expect patients to be forthright and honest as well. Withholding information such as this can lead to serious harm up to and including death.

J. Jason Wendel, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

www.mc.vanderbilt.edu

If You Have a Malignant Tumor on the Tail of Pancreas Should You Get a 6 Hour Face Lift

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. No, she should not have a Face Lift at this time IMHO and shame on any plastic and cosmetic surgeon considering performing one on your friend with pancreatic cancer.