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Would It Be Safe to Do 4 Cosmetic Procedures at Once?

I'm considering getting Rhinoplasty (just tip work), Breast implants, inner Thigh lift and Liposuction to the flanks/mid-section. I'd like to save cost and do them all at once. Is this safe and/or possible? I'm a young, healthy woman in my mid 20's. I have lost weight in the past and have flabby skin on my thighs and deflated breasts that can't be remedied through exercise.

Asked 31 months ago by rainyrainy in KL
Sort 18 expert answers by:
+2

Multiple Procedures Can Be Safe

I will be on the other extreme here, and feel your procedures could be safely combined. I am assuming you do not need a lot of lipo however... It all depends on the extent of the procedures, amount of time in surgery, and your general health status. It is not unusual for me to perform a lower body lift (which for me is a tummy tuck, lateral thigh lift, and buttock lift) plus breast lift as a single procedure. However, I use one or two skilled assistants, often use blood thinners to... more
John LoMonaco, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon
+2

Multiple cosmetic procedures at one time

While it is not uncommon to combine a variety of cosmetic procedures at the same setting to be more cost effective and consildate recovery time; it sounds to me like you may be trying to do a little too much at once. You should have a very long discussion with your surgeon about this. Anything more than 6 hours in time significantly increases your risk of having serious complications. I would not perform all of the procedures you are mentioning at once as the surgery time would be too... more
Brian S. Glatt, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon
+1

Multiple procedure

I would recommend against combining all these procedures: 1. Rhinoplasty is a complex surgery that requires attention to details. That takes time. 2. Breast deflation: even implants require attention to details 3. Liposuction; with small canula to get good results depending on the amount will take a fair amount of time 4. thigh lift: I assume Medial thigh lift need attention to details May be two surgeries. Safety, good results, is the ultimate goal not how much I can do in one session or... more
Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Some combinations of cosmetic procedures can be done at the same time

It is safe and possible to do these four operations simultaneously. This is a reasonable request, as all the surgeries could be performed and completed within four to five hours, which is an acceptable time period.
William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Length of surgery and the type of cases to be combined need to be considered.

In your case, the thigh lift has the highest morbidity in relation to DVT. Combination with liposuction slightly increases that risk. Nose surgery adds to the time. My guess is the entire case would take near 5 hours. My advice would be to take one of the procedures off the table for now. Maybe do the liposuction another time. If you decide to combine, you will need to stay in a nursing overnight recovery center.
Reza  Nabavian, MD
Santa Monica Plastic Surgeon
+1

Multiple procedures okay for healthy young person within limits

It is possible to combine several procedures for a healthy young female. In general it is better not to have very long procedures to avoid risks related to anaesthesia. The procedures you mentioned could last more than 6 hours. You might want to divide them in two sessions. Best of luck!
Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Multiple Cosmetic Surgeries At One Time

It is common to do multiple cosmetic surgeries at one time. What must be considered is the overall health of the patient and the procedures done. Although I have done multiple large procedures on patients at one time I take into account the patients health and the procedures to be performs. Although a 62 year old may be able to undergo a facelift, breast lift and tummy tuck this may not hold for a 30 year old. If you're healthy and appropriate safety precautions are taken to prevent... more
Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon
+1

Multiple Procedures

I frequently do multple procedures in one operation. The main concern is the time under anesthesia. The work you describe can be done safely at one session. I think there is less risk and definiely is cheaper than having multiple surgeries.
Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

4 cosmetic procedures - sounds ok

For a young, healthy person, this combo should be fine. Recuperation with pain in several areas may be a little difficult, but worth it. The anesthesia should not be overly long. Should be fine (and less costly).
G. Gregory Gallico III, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Possible

It is possible to do them all, however I feel that at least for me, I would not be able to do them all in a reasonable amount of time without the assistance of another surgeon. I prefer not to have another surgeon because that tends to lead to asymmetry. Perhaps eliminate one procedure to cut down on OR time. sek
Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Multiple cosmetic procedures at same session can be done safely

The risk of multiple procedures is related to 2 things: General Anesthesia risk, which increases dramatically after 4 hours, and blood loss. I do such procedures ROUTINELY without compromising safety. How? By combining IV sedation with tumescent anesthesia. The concept is not new and has been tried extensively at major centers such as Northwestern university, as well as surgicenters who have documented their experiences with thousands of patients. 1- Use of IV sedation with the patient... more
Ricardo Rodriguez, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Combining procedures

You certainly could combine some procedures to off set the cost and probably have them done safely. But you should really limit the work to a few of them. I think that all 4 procedures will be a lot of work and would keep you on the operating room table for too long  of a time.
Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Combining multiple cosmetic surgeries

As has been said, combining the variety of surgeries you propose could significantly increase the risks to your health and far offset any cost savings. All elective surgeries should be cut off at the 6 hour point or less. Another thing I never do is to combine a relatively contaminated procedure like a rhinoplasty and the placement of a breast implant or liposuction. Infection in these latter 2 procedures are disasters and in my opinion, the rhinoplasty may increase that risk by putting... more
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Combination of Multiple Cosmetic Procedures

Multiple procedures are rather common for the face, i.e. face and neck lift, blepharoplasty, browlift, facial implants, facial fat grafting and rhinoplasty are commonly combined. Although I do not perform below the neck body procedures, I believe that safety issues arise once you combine multiple body procedures, so you (and of course your surgeon) will be careful. Given todays trend to subspecialization, many plastic surgeon may have developed a practice focus and interest, that does not... more
Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Excellence in surgery is closely tied to safety

The 4 procedures you wish to be performed at one time are a bit much, and too demanding for the surgeon as well as you. I would suggest doing a few at a time, choosing the ones that wiil not incapacitate you during recovery. Good luck.
Jack A. Friedland, MD
Phoenix Plastic Surgeon
+1

Don't sacrifice safety for cost

Combined surgeries lasting more than 6 hours have been shown to result in more complications, including hypothermia, increased incidence of wound healing complications, and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Data also has demonstrated that liposuction complication rates increase tremendously when part of an extended combined surgery. You'll probably find someone willing to do all the surgery at once. Make sure you are aware of the risks of combined procedures and make sure you consult with a... more
Sam Jejurikar, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Is having multiple procedures at one time safe?

In my opinion, in general, it is not a good idea to have several procedure at once, especially if they are long procedures and include liposuction. It all depends on exactly what procedures are being performed, how long each procedure will take, your health, and other factors. I find complication rates are higher with multiple procedures and it takes patients longer to recover. However, several small procedures can be performed safely at the same time. It is understandable that you want to... more
Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
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