How likely are you do die during a breast lift + augmentation?

Question

I have always wanted my boobs done, but after reading you can die during surgery, makes me so scared. I want to be more at ease to through the procedure knowing more from doctors and statistics.

Robert J. Spies, MD · Answer

The risk of death from elective plastic surgery on healthy people is extremely rare.  Much lower than dying in a car accident as many of us take that risk daily.Remember that cosmetic plastic surgery is only performed on one who is in good health.  Plus, the vast majority are young especially for a breast lift with implants.  Those at higher risks of complications include advanced age, medical conditions such as heart disease, smoking and lengthy procedures.  Most of these types of patients should not undergo cosmetic surgery.A good, board-certified plastic surgeon will always prepare his or her patient for an operation so that all risks are very low.  At the same time, having a board-certified anesthesiologist at your side during the entire procedure further lowers the risk as well.

Urmen Desai, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

Make sure your surgeon is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).Best,Dr. DesaiBeverly Hills Institute for Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryHarvard Educated, Beverly Hills & Miami Beach TrainedDouble Board-Certified, Double Fellowship-Trained Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello,
Humans are poor risk assessors. We assign high risk to things we do less often or are not familiar with, and we assign low risk to things we do often or are familiar with. Elective cosmetic surgery is low risk (1 in hundreds of thousands for breast lift) compared to driving a car on the freeway (1 in 650). Best of luck!

Eugene Kim, MD · Answer

Your risk of dying from surgery is dependent on your medical history.  If you're healthy, the risk of dying is extremely rare.  If the risk was high, you shouldn't have cosmetic surgery since it's not an emergency.  I recommend seeing a plastic surgeon for consultation or your primary doctor to check your general health.

Frederic H. Corbin, MD (license restricted) · Answer

Thank you for the question and if you are in good health, you are at greater risk dieing in a car accident driving to your surgeon’s office then on the operative table during a reduction.Dr Corbin

Jon A. Perlman, MD (retired) · Answer

Thanks for your question and I understand your concern. If you're healthy and assessed to be at low medical risk and not taking any drugs then the risk of general anesthesia is generally accepted to be approximately 1 in 50,000. As you can see the statistics are very favorable for the average patient.Of course discuss your concerns with your board-certified plastic surgeon and check your doctor's safety record and reputation. Some patients make the mistake of traveling overseas or saving money by not having an anesthetist present I think this is ill-advised for safety purposes. Best wishes,
Jon A. Perlman, M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryAssociate Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery Geffen/UCLA Medical CenterExtreme Makeover, ABC TV plastic surgeonBeverly Hills, Ca.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD (Retired) · Answer

Of course this is a common concern. I asked my anesthesiologist to look into this and he found the following....if you are healthy and having anesthesia by a board certified anesthesiologist, you are 50 times more likely to die driving to the mall than you are from your surgery. I suspect you are not going to stop those shopping trips?

Robert E. Zaworski, MD (retired) · Answer

I have never had a patient die or come close to it from surgery.  If you are that scared, avoid elective surgery.  Also, if you do decide to have surgery, your surgeon may want you to get a medical clearance from any and all physicians treating you.

How likely are you do die during a breast lift + augmentation?

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