Hundreds of thousands of people undergo plastic surgery each year. Over the years, it has become easier to treat individual concerns with one focused technique. For example, when the eyelids become heavy and saggy, the problem isn’t corrected with a facelift or brow lift, it is corrected with blepharoplasty; the surgeon focuses directly on eyelid tissue. But what happens when there is more than one concern to address? Can a person combine plastic surgery procedures safely? Is it worth it to consider combining multiple surgeries at once? Let’s take a look.
Through years of clinical practice, surgeons have discovered that there are several benefits to be gained from combining procedures. Combining plastic surgery techniques like blepharoplasty and brow lift enables a patient to achieve the very best results in a shorter period. More on that in a moment. Knowing that some techniques can be combined does not mean all techniques can be combined. There are limitations to plastic surgery that are unique to each case. If you are interested in addressing multiple cosmetic concerns within one surgical process, your board-certified plastic surgeon is your best resource. A plastic surgeon will conduct a thorough consultation and medical history review to determine which procedures and how many can be performed within a single process.
The Timeframe Guide
The primary concern with combination procedures is how long a patient can safely be under anesthesia. An experienced plastic surgeon can determine the safest timeframe for anesthesia based on the medical history review and brief physical examination. This facilitates adequate planning, working from a designated timeframe backward to see which techniques fit into that window of time.
Why Combine Procedures Anyway?
There are several reasons to combine plastic surgery techniques when possible.
SHORTENED ANESTHESIA TIME
When planning multiple procedures, a surgeon has a roadmap of sorts. They start here, they end there. Working in a streamlined fashion decreases procedural time overall, which means the patient spends less time under general anesthesia.
LESS TIME IN RECOVERY
Not only does a patient have a shorter recovery period when plastic surgery procedures are all performed at once, but they also have less time spent in follow-up appointments. Have a tummy tuck and liposuction at the same time, for instance, does not translate into extra weeks of recovery. The body can heal multiple areas at once. After surgery, follow-up appointments observe all treatment areas rather than just one at a time.
COST-EFFECTIVE
The performance of multiple plastic surgery techniques during one surgical process makes the most of both surgical time and costs. Less time under anesthesia means less anesthesia itself and less “time on the clock” for the anesthesiologist. Surgeon’s fees are slightly lower, as well, because there are fewer office visits than if surgeries were performed one at a time.