Want multiple face and body procedures, can they be combined in one anesthesia?

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 6 hours, though this can vary depending on your surgeon's approach and experience and your individual risk profile.
I would recommend to stage the face and body procedures. High blood pressure during a facelift can predispose to a hematoma. Pain and discomfort from body procedures during a facelift may increase the risk of that high blood pressure. You could consider facelift, lip lift, and fat transfer to the cheeks as one procedure, and then body work as a separate procedure (lipo, fat transfer).
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

Combining multiple face and body procedures under one anesthesia is a common practice in cosmetic and plastic surgery. This approach, known as combination or multiple procedures, can be advantageous as it reduces overall anesthesia time and allows for a more comprehensive transformation in a single session.

However, it's crucial to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss the specifics of the procedures you're considering. They'll evaluate your health, the complexity of the surgeries, and other factors to determine if it's safe and feasible to combine them.

While combining surgeries can be convenient, safety should always be the priority. Your surgeon will consider factors such as the extent of the procedures, potential complications, recovery, and overall health to decide on the best approach for your specific case.

This is a set up for complications and issues. I think that as a surgeon I try to make sure I am fresh minded and focused for every patient. Most surgeons would agree that around the 6 hour mark you will be hard pressed to maintain focus. Additionally, its a physiologic strain on your body for recovery, risk of infection, etc. There is a saying that was going around on instagram recently that this reminded me of. "You can have it fast, you can have it good, you can have it cheap: pick two”. If you were my patient, I would sit you down, ask you to tell me your top three concerns. Focus there. Create a plan moving forward. I hope that you take some time to consider this. Best of luck!

Thanks for your question! In most surgery centers, we have limitations on timing for how long we can safely operate on a patient. You are looking at many hours of surgery so you will be looking at 2 or possibly even 3 surgeries depending on what all you and your doctor decide on. Good luck!

Thank you for your question. Each Surgeon will have their own protocol in regards to how many procedures can be done at once. There are many factors that go into deciding what can be done at once. I would suggest speaking to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person to evaluate you and discuss your options. Best of luck to you.

Thank you for your question regarding combining multiple procedures into one surgery.

In my practice, combing multiple procedures is very common. However, it will greatly depend on the specific procedures and how long your surgeon will need to complete the surgery.

My recommendation is to schedule an in person consultation with two or more experienced board Certified plastic surgeons in you area for a complete evaluation and to ensure it is safe you for you have surgery.

Hope this helps!

Combining plastic surgery operations is common, but there are many factors that are considered by the surgeon to ensure the highest patient safety and best outcomes. The primary factor is your baseline health status, which will determine how much surgery your body can take. The next is surgical time as complications do increase when surgery exceeds 6-8 hours. Another thing to weigh is the logistics of performing surgery and its recovery. In your case, there is a limit to the amount of liposuction that can performed at one time safely, so you may not be able to get all of your areas addressed. Your whole body will be operated on, so you will have a good amount of pain, so it may be difficult to manage drains and applying compression garments if you need them. That would potentially affect your final cosmetic outcome. You would not move around as much and would be at increased risk for blood clots. I would recommend breaking up your surgery by prioritizing what is most important to you.

Hello @Brave112272, thank you for your question. A personalized consultation is needed to make an adequate surgical that will prevent you from having to deal with the negative effects of bad practice later on. For more information and recommendations, it is best to consult with one or several board certified plastic surgeons. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS.

Hi Brave112272,
Your five point wish list includes face, breast, tummy, arms, and legs--essentially your entire body. This is too much surgery, and too many areas, for any single surgical setting.
I would suggest prioritizing what is most important to you, and focusing there first.
As a surgeon, I understand that patients want as much done under one anesthesia as possible--to minimize downtime and restrictions. But from the surgeon's perspective, there is a judgement component to how much surgery is too much. My preference is to limit elective surgery to around six hours in any given setting, as there is a straight line relationship between time spent in the OR and risk for complications--see the attached video for details.
Hope this helps!
Best,Christopher Pannucci MDBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

Possible? Yes. A good idea? I would advise against it. That is a procedure that will take more than 6 hours to accomplish, which is generally the longest we want to do outpatient elective surgery for, as longer than that increases the risk of postsurgical complications like infection. I would suggest splitting up the face and breast/body portions of the procedures.