Tummy tuck + Renuvion to thighs, chin and upper arms. Too much at once?

Combining a tummy tuck with Renuvion for your thighs, chin, and upper arms is possible, but whether it's too much depends on factors like your overall health, BMI, and how long the procedure would take. A tummy tuck alone is a major surgery with significant recovery, and adding multiple areas of Renuvion could increase swelling, discomfort, and downtime.
Surgeons usually consider the total time under anesthesia, aiming to keep it under six hours for safety. If the procedures can be done efficiently without exceeding safe limits, your surgeon may approve doing them together. However, if you're 2-3 stone over your ideal weight, they might suggest focusing on weight loss first or staging the procedures for better results and easier recovery. It’s best to discuss your goals with a board-certified surgeon to determine the safest and most effective approach.

Thank you for your inquiry! Yes, those procedures can be done in one surgery. I recommend scheduling a consult with a board certified plastic surgeon like myself and we can create a surgical plan to best achieve your goals!

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding combining a tummy tuck with Renuvion skin tightening on multiple areas. It’s understandable that you want to maximize your time under anesthesia and address multiple areas in one surgery. However, the safety and feasibility of doing all these procedures at once depend on a few key factors.

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is already a major surgery, requiring extensive tissue removal, muscle tightening, and significant recovery time. Adding Renuvion skin tightening to the thighs, chin, and upper arms is possible, but it depends on:

Most plastic surgeons aim to keep procedures under 8 hours to minimize risks like blood clots, excessive fluid shifts, and complications related to prolonged anesthesia. A tummy tuck alone can take 3–5 hours, and adding multiple areas for Renuvion could extend surgical time significantly.

A tummy tuck involves muscle plication (tightening of the abdominal wall), which can make movement, standing, and even simple tasks difficult in the early recovery period. Adding multiple areas of Renuvion skin tightening means that your upper body (arms, chin) and lower body (thighs, abdomen) will all be recovering at once, making mobility even more challenging.

Each treated area will require compression garments to reduce swelling and promote healing. Managing compression for four different areas at once (abdomen, thighs, arms, and chin) could be uncomfortable and difficult.

Many plastic surgeons would recommend doing the tummy tuck first and then addressing the Renuvion skin tightening in a second surgery after you’ve fully healed. This approach lowers the risk of complications, improves recovery, and allows for better surgical outcomes.

Some surgeons may agree to do a tummy tuck + Renuvion to either the upper or lower body, but doing all four areas at once may be too aggressive.

Additionally, since you mentioned being 2–3 stone (28–42 lbs) over your ideal weight, it would be beneficial to lose as much weight as possible before surgery to optimize healing and ensure the best results. Renuvion works best on patients with minimal excess fat and mild-to-moderate skin laxity. If you plan to lose more weight, waiting until you are closer to your goal weight before undergoing skin tightening treatments may be a better approach.

A tummy tuck + Renuvion can be done together in some cases, but doing all four areas at once may prolong surgery time, increase recovery difficulty, and elevate risks. I strongly recommend consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can assess your body, discuss your goals, weight loss progress, and surgical timeline, and determine the safest and most effective plan for you.

Good luck, and I hope this helps answer your question regarding combining procedures!

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen