Which procedure to do first?

I'm planning a mini face lift and an upper eye blepharoplasty, but am looking at different doctors for each procedure. Which procedure should I do first?

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15 answers to “Which procedure to do first?”

A: Eyelid surgery before facelift if you want separate procedures

By Brooke R. Seckel, MD - Boston Plastic Surgeon

I usually do upper eyelid blepharoplasty and facelift together at the same time. However since you plan to have different doctors do the procedures staging is required. The blepharoplasty of the upper eyelids will have a dramatic impact and recovery will be easier and fairly simple. Also, the results of the... more

A: Facelift and eyelid rejuvenation make an excellent combination

By Peter E. Johnson, MD - Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Facelift and upper eyelid surgery compliment one another very well and there are advantages to a single anesthetic,and a single recovery. It is unlikely that the surgeon who is comfortable with facelift and mini lift will not also be quite comfortable with eyelid surgery. There are so many advantages to a... more

A: Mini lift and blepharoplasty at the same time

By Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD - Chicago Plastic Surgeon

First of all I would strongly recommend finding experienced board certified plastic surgeon who can perform mini facelift and upper blepharoplasty at the same time. There is no reason to do it separately. The advantage is one recovery time from both procedures, also going under the general anesthesia only... more

A: If this is your wish, I recommend mini face lift first

By Otto Joseph Placik, MD - Chicago Plastic Surgeon

It appears that many of the physicians are attempting to get you to have one surgeon (which is wise for the reasons mentioned) perform the two surgeries, but obviously that is not your question. So in response to your question, I would perform the mini-face lift first for this reason. When performing a... more

A: Bleph and combined face lift.

By Steven H. Williams, MD - Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

The challenge your situation presents is having different doctors to perform each procedure. It is also somewhat unusual for two plastic surgeons (unless they work together frequently) to combine efforts on a single patient in a combined cosmetic procedure. You should consider finding one board certified... more

A: Combining Surgery: Facelift with a Blepharoplasty / Eyelid Tuck

By Raffy Karamanoukian, MD - Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

The decision to proceed with a cosmetic surgical procedure is often difficult for the patient. In terms of the procedures you wish to undergo, speak directly with an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon to understand the risks, benefits, and complexities of each anatomic area. Fortunately, in the... more

A: Have one procedure

By D.J. Verret, MD - Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

I would agree with the other physicians. I would seek out one physician for both procedures or talk with the surgeons and determine if both of them can operate at the same time. In this way you would have one anesthetic, one healing time, and although less important than an excellent result but still a... more

A: Why two doctors?

By Brent Moelleken, MD - Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

You should be able to have the procedure done by a single competent plastic surgeon, with one single recovery period, not to mention one operating room fee. If you have a specific reconstructive problem that warrants an opthalmologist such as ptosis, tear duct issues or strabismus, most plastic surgeons... more

A: Two for One, or One for All?

By Athleo Louis Cambre, MD - Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Unless there is some overriding concern about the surgical skill or artistic ability of one surgeon to do both of these common procedures to your satisfaction, you would be better served to choose one surgeon competent to perform both procedures, and have them both done at the same operative setting. There... more

A: Stick with one surgeon

By Kenneth R. Francis, MD - Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Christina, Although I appreciate your desire to obtain "the best" surgeon for each of the procedures that you mention, there are many advantages to choosing one surgeon (especially board certified) for both. Sometimes the least known surgeon will get the best result and sometimes the best known... more

More answers to Which procedure to do first?
Beverly Hills - Make sure you don't need a forehead lift.
Los Angeles - Fix what bothers you the most first.
New York City - Chosing your procedures can be difficult
Seattle - Get the right doctor and do them both together and have one recovery

Comments

What are your priorities?
unregistered guest

10 Dec 2008

I might first ask why you are having two different surgeons doing the procedure? Most board-certified plastic surgeons are capable to do facelift and upper blepharoplasties simultaneously. Often it helps to have a cohesive, harmonizing game plan from one surgeon rather than two separate surgeons unless there is a reason why a precedure might be outside the expertise of the other surgeon. If you insist on doing the surgeries in two different stages with two different surgeons, and since the two areas are anatomically separate (although you might ask each if they are not encroaching on the region the others is operating on), it depends on what procedure holds the great benefit to you. Usually you do the procedure that gives you the greatest bang for your buck or the procedure that holds the greatest importance to you. That way, if something happens to prevent you from doing the second, you get your first priority surgery done first.