Thigh Lift, Arm Lift, Abdominoplasty Done Together Concerns and Recovery?

        That is a lot of surgery at one time.  The body will have a lot of healing to do, and the best thing to do after surgery is to focus on allowing your body to heal.  Training in 5 to 6 weeks is probably not realistic.

 

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for your post and concerns. These three areas - arms, thighs, and tummy all at once will likely lead to a longer recovery than typical. I have done this combination, but only on ideal patients and with 72 hour stay at the hospital. Ask your surgeon about how best to prepare and whether an overnight stay facility is available. Best wishes, Dr. Aldo.

That sounds like alot of surgery for one sitting. I would be concerned about doing your legs and arms at the same time because all 4 of your limbs would be recovering, swollen and painful. That's a tough recovery! As a rough guide, I would limit your anesthesia/surgery between 6-8 hours in one sitting and separate your arms and legs into 2 different stages.

Also, ask your surgeon this question. How many hours can you perform surgery and not get tired? Think about it, these are long, mentally and physically exhausting procedures. Do you want a tired surgeon at the end of it?

I do think 6 weeks is a reasonable time to recover to full activity (void of complications, etc). 

Many massive weight loss patients do have nutritional and mineral deficiencies. You should have had a comprehensive panel of labs done prior to surgery. If there are deficiencies, these can be addressed before the surgery to maximize your success.

Hope this helps