Can you have plastic surgery when you are pregnant but going to do abortion anyway?

Question

I scheduled for my surgery for liposuction and I found out yesterday that I was one week pregnant. I have no intentions to keep the baby but the abortion clinic gave me a date for abortion way later than my plastic surgery date ...

Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi D3D4.  In short, I would not perform an elective cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure on a patient with a positive pregnancy test (urine or blood).  If you are not intending on going through with the pregnancy, your board certified plastic surgeon will require documentation of termination by a medical provider and will likely require additional bloodwork to confirm that your hormone levels are returning to normal or have already normalized.  Please discuss your pregnancy status with your board certified plastic surgeon directly.  I hope that this answers your question and I wish you all of the best.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I will not perform an elective procedure if a patient is pregnant.  Your immune systems can be weakened by pregnancy exposing you to infection after surgery. If there are no complications from the abortion, six weeks after the abortion may be a reasonable time period to schedule your liposuction.  This depends upon the nature of the abortion, the postoperative course, the point during the pregnancy, the relative weight gain, and your psychological well being.  This must be evaluated on an individual basis by your OB/GYN and your plastic surgeon for your safety.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

Absolutely not! First, you have to have the termination as well as confirmation that no "products of conception" remain in order to clear anesthesia requirements.   That is typically 4-6 weeks after the abortion.

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!!
  
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. 
  I will not perform an elective procedure if a patient is pregnant. I recommend you to wait at least 6 weeks to reconsider plastic surgery if everything goes well.Good luck :)

Reza Momeni, MD, FACS · Answer

Most surgeons (including in our clinic) will not perform elective cosmetic procedures on pregnant patinets.

Regina M. Fearmonti, MD · Answer

No elective surgical procedures are performed with an active pregnancy.  Especially with body contouring, bleeding and soft tissue swelling (especially breasts and abdomen) are altered in a pregnancy state.  This is not safe for you nor will it ensure an optimal surgical experience and eventual outcome. Reschedule.

Steven Schuster, MD, FACS · Answer

I will not perform a plastic surgery procedure without pregnancy. Please wait until a month after your termination of pregnancy when you are in better shape And your immune system is back to normal. I know of no plastic surgeon who will operate on any pregnant patient regardless whether or not they were planning on having an abortion.

Jeremy S. Hurren, BSc, MBBS, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

I would not offer a patient liposuction while they were pregnant. Apart from the possibility that you might change your mind about the pregnancy there are additional risks to you in having surgery while you are pregnant. Your immune system may be less effective and there is a greater risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT / clots in the leg veins) and its complications. I would not advise someone to have non essential surgery when pregnant.

David E. Berman, MD (retired) · Answer

Pregnancy induces a lot of hormonal changes in your body. i would definitely not do any surgery while pregnant and i would suggest waiting at least 6 weeks after the abortion, probably 12 weeks is better, before proceeding with plastic surgery.david berman md

William H. Jervis, MD, FACS (in memoriam) · Answer

this would be a bad idea.  You should wait until after after termination of the pregnancy because if something came up and delayed the pregnancy termination or prevented it, the anesthesia and surgery could result in birth defects, or even loss of the pregnancy under uncontrolled circumstances which could subject you to unnecessary risks.  the current standard of practice is for the staff at the surgery center to ask you when the last period started and if missed or irregular they would insist on doing a urinary pregnancy test before going to the procedure.  if pregnancy test is positive the procedure would be cancelled.

Can you have plastic surgery when you are pregnant but going to do abortion anyway?

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