Tummy Tuck and Mini Face Lift Together - Is It Safe?

i am on the more conservative side. i rarely do facial operations when i am doing an abdominal plication at the same time.  plications hurt which cause a higher likelihood of facial bleeding which could hurt the final result.generally facial surgery involves limited pain

It all comes down to the length of the procedure. In general the longer the procedure the more chance of complications. Your abdominoplasty, due to your size, may be a shorter procedure than would be the case with a heavier person. Face lifts times can also vary depending on the length of the procedure. If a more limited procedure is contemplated, both these procedures could be performed with a reasonable degree of safety. Best to review the trade offs with your plastic surgeon.

Your abdominoplasty is not just for loose skin. You need to have your rectus diastasis repaired and the umbilical hernia, which, if wide mouthed, will need reconstruction. Rectus repair is quite painful postop and you will be walking bent over double for a couple of weeks. It sounds like you don't need much liposuction with the abdominoplasty. That saves some time and discomfort. Rectus repair will make you stronger, improve any back pain you may have and also improve stress incontinence should you have that. Your posture will improve postop and you will have more energy. But I personally wouldn't do a facelift at the same time. These are quite unrelated areas that deserve separate operations. The abdominoplasty is a big surface area operation with fluid shifts and stress throughout the body. The facial operation is delicate and swelling needs to be minimised, along with straining and you are going to have both with a operation like an abdominoplasty. Sure, I'd do a mastopexy augmentation with an abdominoplasty but that's hardly a delicate operation either. Facial surgery is a different matter and I think the result could be compromised.

Assuming you are otherwise healthy and do not have a predisposition to blood clotting the risk of combination procedures comes down to the LENGTH of the operations.

There is nothing more inherently dangerous in combining these two operations EXCEPT for ending up with not so great results and cheating defeat out of the jaws of victory IF you are having Mini-operations when, in reality, you would get much better results with the non-MINI versions of these operations. In patients insistence on MINI operations and the willingness of surgeons to compromise their esthetic standards and let them have it rather than losing that income, our fruited planes are filled so-so to disappointing results produced by rushed through, combinations of MINI procedures.

Make sure these operations are the best options for your anatomy. If so, if you are healthy, there is no reason you cannot have them as long as conventional surgical practices are observed.

Peter A Aldea, MD
Memphis, Tennessee

These two procedure can be performed together. There can be increase risk with multiple procedure especially if the operative time is long and the patient has significant medical issues

Give your description of the two procedures, they both are really mini- or more limited versions of a facelift and a tummy tuck. There is no reason that they can not be done together as the combination of the time involved and the magnitude of the procedures makes them still an outpatient operation. The only limiting factor could be the tummy tuck but yours sound like a skin only procedure that does not require any muscle tightening. Your abdomen will remain flat afterwards only with less loose skin.

This becomes a safety question. If your tummy tuck goes quickly and without much blood loss than a "mini" facelift would be acceptable. Your surgeon needs to inform you if there are any questions for your safety than he should delay doing the mini. Better safe than sorry. 

I think the combination of a MINI-FACE LIFT AND MINI- TUMMY TUCK is reasonable and safe provided you are in very good health.

However a diasthesis of the rectus muscles of two finger breadth is too much. you will get better results with repair of the diasthesis.

Usually tummy tuck makes the abdomen flat. In general, if you have muscle separation (diastasis) it is better to do muscle tightening in the midline.  You need to discuss that with your surgeon. As for your second question, doing another procedure with a tummy tuck will increase your operative time. Is your surgery going to be an outpatient or inpatient ?, how long the surgery will take ? all these questions you need to address with your surgeon in advance. 

A mini-faceliift and a tummy tuck are very reasonable combined procedures.  Even with a flat abdomen, a diagnosed rectus diastasis should be repaired.  You should have a narrowed waist after your surgery.  A flat tummy will still be flat.  Anticipate an operative time of 4 to 5 hours.