Is 12 hours too long for surgery?

When considering multiple cosmetic procedures, the process involves careful planning to ensure safety and optimal results. It's common to combine surgeries, but there are typically limits on the duration of each operation to ensure patient safety. The general guideline is that elective surgeries should not exceed six hours, though this can vary depending on your surgeon's approach and experience and your individual risk profile. Twelve hours is too long for an elective outpatient aesthetic surgical procedure (and these procedures should easily take less than 6 hours). For the procedures you’re considering, it’s likely that some can be done together in one session, while others might require staging.
Ultimately, the most effective plan will depend on your specific goals, health status, and recovery time. It’s crucial to consult with an experienced plastic surgeon who can assess your case, determine the safest way to combine the procedures, and create a personalized plan based on your priorities and desired results.
Krishna Vyas, MD, PhD, MHSHarvard, Hopkins, & Mayo Clinic Trained Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonNew York, New York

Hi there, this is a great question. It is very rare that any mommy makeover type surgery lasts 12 hours, depending on your current size and how much extra tissue you have I would say average mm times are more like 6-8 hours. 12 hours seems excessive, even a 12 hour surgery when done safely and appropriately should be safe for your assuming you do not have medical co-morbidities including diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease or lung disease. Best of luck!

Hi & thanks for your question.
Not sure who is giving you this information. Is it your surgeon? Mommy Makeovers do not take 12 hours, typically. However, I do not know the particulars of your case. I suggest consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Best wishes!

Yes. This is a very speculative question but the literature suggest that surgeries over 6 hours demonstrate significantly higher risks of complications. At our surgery center we limit surgical time to 6 hours for body contouring cases like a mommy makeover. Additionally, a tummy tuck with breast augmentation/mastopexy should take less than 6 hours.

Thanks for your inquiry, I do not know why your surgery is planned for so long, in general I plan to do no more than 6 hours of surgery at any one time, best of luck.

Dear Jenn, Yes, 12 hours is too long for outpatient surgery. Complication rates go up after 6 hours in the OR. Unless there is something unique about your particular case, those two procedures generally do not take 12 hours to complete. If you require that amount of time, then yes, split them up. Maybe another consultation or two with another BC/PS will help clarify this for you. Best wishes, Dr. Gervais

Yes. 12 hours is too long for an elective surgery, since it would increase the risks of having a complication. It seems unusual that this surgery would take that long unless there is something about your situation that is different than most others. I would get another opinion about the options, surgery, and timing. If it turns out that it really will take 12 hours, then you should definitely split it into 2 separate procedures. Hope that helps. Best of luck!

A tummy tuck and breast lift with implants usually takes 6 hours to perform. 12 hours puts you at a high risk for blood clots, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and pressure sores. I know of 1 case where the patient had this done, the surgery that took 12 hours and the patient has difficulty walking and developed pressure sores post-operatively.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

I hold these combination surgeries to under 6 hours to reduce the risks of complications. Recommend that you consult with other board certified plastic surgeons who can perform the combination in less than 6 hours or stage the procedures.

The short answer is that 12 hours is too long for elective surgery, and much longer than should be required for a full tummy tuck and breast lift with implants. Surgery time would be closer to 5 hours in my experience, which should be reasonable in most cases.