If you’re considering plastic surgery, it’s not uncommon to have more than one procedure in mind. Fortunately, you may not have to choose between options. There are actually benefits to combining plastic surgery procedures, but it’s worth noting that there are also risks. Safety should always be your highest priority when pursuing plastic surgery, and a board-certified plastic surgeon can help you ensure your surgery still falls within the boundaries of a safe and low-risk procedure. Here is what to know about combining procedures and why it’s worth considering with the help of Drs. Susan MacLennan and Alexandra Schmidt.

The Pros and Cons of Combining Plastic Surgery Procedures

There are both pros and cons to combining multiple procedures, and it’s worth spending time considering which factors are most important to you – and discussing them in depth with our team.

Anesthesia

General anesthesia comes with side effects and risks. The advantage of combining procedures is that you can avoid multiple instances of unwanted side effects (nausea, vomiting, etc), however, longer procedures tend to be higher risk. When combining procedures, we try to limit OR time to 6 hours in order to reduce risks (of blood clots, cardiac events, etc). Before surgery, our team will need to carefully assess your medical history and overall health. If you have certain health concerns, combining procedures may not be recommended.

Recovery Time

Recovery from any plastic surgery can take 1-6 weeks, which can be a significant amount of time for some patients, especially if they have a busy schedule. Combining procedures means that you only need to take time off for one recovery rather than multiple. However, your combined recovery period may be longer and more extensive than that of a single procedure. It’s best to take a thorough look at your schedule and be realistic when determining how much time you can afford.

Cost

Although cost should never be the determining factor when it comes to plastic surgery, there are benefits to combining procedures. There are always associated costs involved with surgery like anesthesia, facilities, materials, and more. By combining procedures, you may only need to pay some of these costs once, leading to some savings overall. However, combining procedures can be too much of a cost all at once for some patients. Our team can give you a full cost estimate and help you determine the best option for your budget.

Results

Some procedures are simply best combined, like the mommy makeover or facelift and brow lift. If you address more than one area at once, it can lead to a more complete result and less noticeable difference between areas. However, it can be more difficult for your body to recover and show results within the timeframe you might be hoping for. Additionally, some patients simply don’t want the dramatic results that come with combined procedures and prefer to make small, less noticeable, adjustments over time instead.

How Many Procedures Can I Safely Combine?

This can be difficult to answer since it’s not always the number of procedures that matters, but rather the time spent in surgery or the extent of recovery. As mentioned above, we generally limit surgery time to 6 hours for your safety. Also, we may not recommend combining certain procedures because the recovery would be too uncomfortable or the recommended post-op body positioning may not be ideal for one of the procedures. If you are interested in multiple procedures, we will discuss options for combining or staging them during your consultation.

Schedule a Consultation

At Mountain Lake Plastic Surgery, our board-certified plastic surgeons can help you determine the best combination of procedures for your goals, with a focus on safety and satisfaction. To meet with our team and learn more, contact our Burlington office by calling or filling out our online form.