Is It Possible to Have a Neck Lift, Breast Reduction and Tummy Tuck at the Same Time?

Question

I am 41 years old, non smoker, healthy, but 20 lbs overweight.

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

I would not recommend trying to tackle all of those operations in one setting.  It is recommended to keep operation times to about six hours maximum.  Different surgeons operate at different rates of speed.  There may be some surgeons that can accomplish your operations under the six hour mark but I am willing to stand on the premise that most surgeons could not. 

	Dr. ES

Andrea Marando, MD · Answer

I agree with Dr. Morgan: it is essential for you to discuss your priorities with your surgeon; however multiple procedures take longer in theatre and the risks related increase.

	It also depends on the surgical techniques selected in your case for your necklift and abdominoplasty. The advise I would give to a patient like you, in my practice, would be to start with the abdominoplasty and possibly necklift, recover and after the appropriate time proceed with the breast reduction.

	In the meatime, in preparation of the first 2 procedures, I would advice to try to increase the level of fitness to be at your best at the time of surgery.

	All the best.

Amy Simon, MD, FACS · Answer

These procedures can be performed together safely and
frequently that can occur as long as the patient is medical cleared prior to
surgery. I send all my patients for
preop medical clearance in order to be everyone is an appropriate candidate for
elective surgery. I would also make sure
your surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon and performing your surgery
in an accredited facility.

Mohammed Alghoul, MD · Answer

It
depends on the length of the mommy makeover procedure. It has been shown in
several publications that length of surgery increases the incidence of
postoperative complication. It is therefore recommended that any combination of
cosmetic procedures does not exceed 6 hours. You can combine a tummy tuck and a
neck lift for that period of time. However if a mommy makeover involves a tummy
tuck and breast lift/augmentation or reduction,  then adding a neck lift on top will add to
the length of the procedure beyond the 6 hours mark.

Stephen M. Chen, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your story with us! Multiple procedures can be accomplished in one operative setting. The limiting factor is time under anesthesia. For your three procedures there are many variables to consider such as the adjunctive use of liposuction and or fat grafting both of which add to the overall length of time involved. As stated before, you need to prioritize your surgeries and have a careful discussion with your plastic surgeon to see what can be done SAFELY. Should you do all three at once, I would recommend that you at the very least have an overnight stay in the hospital for postoperative monitoring. The other option is to see a surgeon who works in concert with another surgeon to expedite the operation, this should cut down on the time considerably. If you go this route, you should meet both surgeons. I utilize this "team" surgery for some of my breast reconstruction free flap cases as well as for large body contouring procedures. Even with the time saving, I would recommend the overnight stay. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.

Pedro M. Soler, Jr., MD · Answer

Thank you for the question. I typically try to limit the patients time under anesthesia to no more than 6 hours. Most surgeons could not finish these 3 operations within the allotted amount of time. While the risks increase as the time under anesthesia increases, this is also true as you begin to combine cases that may cause significant bleeding. My advice would be to rank the importance of the surgeries mentioned and group what can be done within the 6 hour window together, leaving the other procedure for after you have recovered.

	While patients understandably want to get all of the procedures done at the same time to save on the facility and anesthesia fees. The savings produced however is not worth the risk taken with your life. As a surgeon the question is not can you do it? The real question is should it be done? It is our responsibility to not just carry out the operation but to do it in a manner which is consistently safest for you, the patient.

	I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Is It Possible to Have a Neck Lift, Breast Reduction and Tummy Tuck at the Same Time?

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