I Am Going to Have Skin Removal on my Stomach and Arms. Is It OK to Have Both Procedures Done at the Same Time?

Question

I am 2 1/2 years out from Bariatric Sleeve surgery. I am down 118 pounds. I am going to have skin removal on my stomach and arms. I would like to have both procedures done a the same time. Is this advisable? What would/could be the disadvantages. Thank you

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding whether it’s safe to have skin removal surgery on your stomach and arms at the same time. First, congratulations on your incredible 118-pound weight loss after bariatric sleeve surgery — that’s a major achievement, and you’ve clearly worked hard to get here. You’re now in the final stages of your transformation, and that’s something to be very proud of.

Yes, it is generally safe and common to combine a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) with an arm lift (brachioplasty) in the same surgery — as long as you're healthy and your plastic surgeon is experienced in performing combination procedures after massive weight loss. In fact, many post-bariatric patients choose to combine surgeries like this to reduce the number of anesthetics, hospital visits, and recovery periods.

The advantages of combining these procedures are:
One surgery and one anesthesia event
One recovery period instead of two
Potentially lower total cost than staging the surgeries separately

However, there are also some drawbacks to consider. Recovery can be more challenging because your core and arms will both be healing at the same time. This means you’ll need extra support at home to help you get in and out of bed, prepare meals, and move around safely — especially in the first 10–14 days. You’ll also have two areas of post-op discomfort, and the overall surgical time will be longer, which slightly increases the risk of complications like wound healing issues or infection.

That said, if you're in good health, your BMI is stable, and your labs are normal, most board-certified plastic surgeons with experience in post-weight loss body contouring are comfortable performing this combination. Just make sure to discuss all aspects of recovery with your surgical team so you can plan ahead and set yourself up for a smooth healing process.

If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to review your plastic surgeon’s before-and-after photos of patients who had both procedures and ask how many similar cases they’ve performed. Experience in massive weight loss patients is key — skin behaves differently, and the surgical planning needs to reflect that.

Wishing you all the best as you continue this final step of your journey.

Sincerely,
Dr. J. Timothy Katzen, MD, MBA, FASMBS, FICS
(Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons; Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and the American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and RealSelf Hall of Fame)

Before moving forward, be sure to check your surgeon’s qualifications, review detailed before-and-after photos, and read reviews from massive weight loss patients. These surgeries are transformative when done by the right hands.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

The tummy tuck and arm lift can be performed at the same time in an effective and safe manner if your surgeon performs these all the time and keeps the surgery to around 4 hours or so. Of course, general medical health will be a consideration here as well. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of body contouring procedures each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Kurtis Martin, MD · Answer

Yes, these can be done together without any problems. It is common to combine a bodylift and armlift or breasts in bariatric patients. I usually limit surgery to less than 7 hours to minimize complications.

C. Bob Basu, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

Multiple procedures can be safely performed in one setting. But it depends on your health status (past medical history), your anatomy, and the amount of surgery/type of procedures to be done. Your surgeon will recommend an overnight stay depending on the overall length of your procedure(s), especially given the hysterectomy.     Please confirm that your plastic surgeon is board certified plastic surgeon specifically by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Wishing you a speedy recovery.
	Dr. Basu
	Houston, TX

Rick Rosen, MD · Answer

thank you for your question. It is totally fine to have both procedures performed at the same time as long as the surgeon you choose is comfortable with performing these procedures together on a regular basis. The advantages far outweigh the risks in my opinion. One recovery time, usually decreased costs as most facilities front load costs and if the procedure takes slightly longer the costs go down. I try to keep the procedures under 6 hours and can accomplish 3-4 procedures together by 2 teaming with another plastic surgeon. good luck

Peter Fisher, MD (retired) · Answer

Absolutely do them together, but make sure your surgeon is comfortable doing this. Advantages are one operation, therefore less time off of work and only one recovery.I routinely do 2-3 and even 4 procedures at one surgical setting especially when patients are thin like you are. Obviously your health needs to be good.

	All the best.

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