What are the pros and cons of having an upper body lift at once compared to having it done in seperate sessions?

Hi Cauliflowerisaflower,
Thank you for your question regarding the pros and cons of having an upper body lift done at once compared to having it done in separate sessions. Thank you for this interesting question.
Unfortunately, an "upper body lift" is a very vague term. First, we need to define what an upper body lift entails. An upper body lift can include any of the following procedures: arm liposuction, crescent or longitudinal arm lift or reduction, vertical or horizontal back lift or reduction, crescent or anchor breast reduction, crescent or anchor breast lift, and breast augmentation. An upper body lift can include all the procedures or just some of them.
The pros of undergoing an upper body lift in one session include one anesthesia, one recovery period with weekly follow-up visits, and one period of time off work. Another advantage is that the time course is much shortened if the procedures are all done in one session. Also, you are in pain for only a limited time and may not need to take pain medication for too long.
The cons of having an upper body lift in one surgery include a longer time under anesthesia. Also, there is an increased chance of more blood loss during a single procedure compared to separating the procedures. Increased blood loss can lead to the need for a blood transfusion. Another disadvantage of having an upper body lift in one procedure is that it requires a longer incision line for you to heal. The longer incision line will require increased metabolic demands and increased requirements for protein intake.  Also, one surgery extends the surgical time and increases the chances of infection.
The pros of undergoing an upper body lift in separate procedures include shorter times under anesthesia and allowing your body to heal one step at a time. Also, if you underwent multiple staged upper body lift surgeries and required touch-ups of any of the prior surgeries, these touch-ups could be performed during the second and third sessions.
The cons of undergoing an upper body lift in separate sessions include multiple anesthesia sessions and multiple recovery periods with many visits to the office. Another disadvantage of undergoing an upper body lift in multiple stages is that it requires extended periods of time off work. Separating procedures will leave you in more pain than having the procedure performed at one time. Increased pain means a potential increase in consumption of narcotics, which can possibly lead to narcotic dependency and addiction. The cons of separate upper body lift surgeries include increased chances of blood clots and pulmonary emboli compared to a single-session upper body lift.
I hope that I have answered your question regarding the pros and cons of having an upper body lift at once compared to having it done in separate sessions. Good luck. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen

An upper body lift should easily be able to be performed as a single procedure so that you have one operation and one recovery. This assumes, however, that you have the proper facility to do it in and proper anesthesia and the surgeon can complete the procedure in 6 hours or less. Performing this as 2 operations would be more costly and require you to have two recoveries. Speak with you plastic surgeon in detail. Best wishes.