Does it take 8 hrs to do face, eyelid, and forehead lift surgery?

Thank you for your question.  A Face lift procedure combined with upper and lower eyelid surgeries, and a brow lift will take between 5-9 hours.  Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will take many precautions, such as clearance by your primary physician, operating in an accredited facility, SCDs, etc to minimize complications.  Discuss your concerns with your Plastic Surgeon. Best Wishes.  

Depending on the details of your procedure - it could very easily take 5-8 hours to do the things you have listed, if your surgeon is meticulous, careful, and not trying to rush.

In my experience this procedure will take 4-5 hours of operating time. Some surgeons operate more slowly or less efficiently but still do a wonderful job. The main consideration should be the surgeon's qualifications, your level or trust and the results that they create. If you have concerns, seek another opinion from a plstic surgeon who specializes in facial procedures. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

You raise a good point about how long anesthesia time should be for elective cosmetic surgery. I personally limit total anesthesia time to 4-5 hrs. max. That amount of time is within operating time for many surgeons (myself included) to do what you describe  but many qualified surgeons take longer.  I believe they should probably divide the procedure up if they need 8 hrs. to keep anesthesia time to a safer 4 hr or so limit. This is a legitimate difference of medical opinion.

Longer surgery means longer anesthesia and higher risks, so my policy is to not schedule anything I expect to take longer than 5 or 6 hours, which would be sufficient for facelift, eyelids, and possibly browlift. Operative time is quite a sensitive issue however as you can tell from the answers. Slower surgery does not necessarily mean more meticulous and detail oriented.