What is Safe Time to Be Under Anesthesia?

Hello, I will be having surgery on 8/2/12, I'm concerned about the time my PS said I would be under 7.5 hours. He will be performing a tummy tuck with lipo to the tummy, lipo to the back and flanks, BA and BL. My lungs are a bit of a problem, I have a lot of scarring and have been under supervision from my pulmonary dr. it has taken him one year to clear this surgery. I will be having my procedure done in a hospital and will spend one night there after the surgery.

Tags:

anesthesia duration safety

Comment on this

13 Doctor Answers | Asked by Yennie123 in Texas

Doctor Answers (13)
Community Comments (0)

Safety of anesthesia

I am concerned about your pulmonary history. I generally tell patients that if they are asking whether their medical problems allow cosmetic surgery to still be safe, they need to seriously consider the risk to benefits of a procedure. Without knowing your exact condition and severity, I cannot make recommendations to whether your procedure is appropriate or needs to be shortened. I ask that you visit carefully with your physicians and even get a 2nd opinion to ensure that... more

Length of surgery and pulmonary history

Although combined procedures and general anesthesia for 6-8 hours are safe in healthy patients, I would need to know more about your pulmonary history. This is important. Over 6 hours of general anesthesia could have some effects on your pulmonary status. If indeed you have a significant pulmonary history (which it sounds like if you are writing you have significant scarring in your lungs), them I would suggest reducing the length of your surgery. Remember, this is... more

Long Surgery Time!

That is a lot of surgery to do at one time and I think you definitely have to stay in the hospital overnight after that much surgery.

Pulmonary Problems And Cosmetic Surgery

7-1/2 hours for a young, healthy person to have the surgeries you are having sounds just about right to me. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law even applies to cosmetic surgery at times. I think your question is a good one to ask, and my recommendation is you give yourself a break, do the most important surgery first, maybe abdominoplasty and liposuction, recover for 6 months, and if all went great, go ahead and do the second surgery. You didn't get all that loose skin and fat in... more

Clearance for surgery

As long as you're cleared by the appropriate doctors, you should be okay. However, if you have any concerns you may want to think about dividing your surgeries up into 2-3 sessions instead of one big one. see video

Plastic surgery with health problems

It sounds like you have significant lung problems. You should discuss this with a Pulmonologist. My guess is that it would be safest to break up your goals into two smaller procedures. Also, sometimes just a tummy tuck can tighten the tummy enough to make it more difficult to breath (it raises the diaphragm). Be prepared.

Safe time under anesthesia

A 7.5 hour procedure on a sick patient is too long. There are a couple of issues at work here. The first is that 7.5 hrs is a long surgery for procedures that you are talking about having. There are a good number of surgeons who can do it several hours quicker. How severe are your lung issues? Do you really want to jeopardize your life for this surgery? Think about getting a second opinion. Good luck,and thank you for the question... more

Cosmetic surgery & health problems

You have to remember that this type of surgery is all voluntary, and that risking your life to have everything done at once isn't something I'd recommend that my patients do. If you've been cleared for surgery, I would suggest you pick one of the procedures that most concerns you and do that first, realizing that it may be the only one that you can do if any problems arise. Have it done in a hospital with your pulmonologist around to manage any lung problems after surgery. Remember,... more

Safe time under anesthesia

From your history, you would be wise to break up your surgery into at least two shorter procedures. You will probably recover faster than if one long procedure is done. This may cost more than doing one long procedure, but would be safer and less costly in the long run than if you had serious pulmonary problems post operatively.

Length of surgery

From your history about your lungs and the fact that the pulmonary doctor took one year to clear you for surgery is a problem. You are not a candidate for elective surgery. In a completely healthy individual 6 hours is what we try to limit the length of surgery. In your case, with pulmonary probles I would worry about putting you to sleep for 2-3 hours.