Plastic Surgery in One Session or Multiple?

Q: Can you have multiple procedures done in one surgery? For example, I’m wanting to have a breast lift, tummy tuck and some liposuction. Should those be separate or which ones can be performed together? The liposuction would be on the flanks, hips/thighs, and back/bra area, and upper arms.

A: Three things you describe- breast lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction of flank- when done in one surgery is what is called the Mommy Makeover. This can be done safely in appropriately chosen patients. The additional liposuction of the arms, back, hips, and thighs adds a significant amount of time and changes in positioning in the operating room. Without seeing you in person it is difficult to say how much time this would add to surgery, or even if you are a good candidate for liposuction.

Personally I think the safest way to give you the *best results* is to do the breast lift, tummy tuck, and maybe flank liposuction in one surgery, and liposuction of the arms/ back/ hips/ thighs in a second surgery.

Can it all be done at once? Technically speaking yes. Would it be safe to do all at once? Possibly, but not recommended. The usual recommendation is to limit surgery to 6 hours, because the rate of complications tends to increase once you go over that time. Also, if you were to get all of those areas operated on at once (essentially your entire body), it would make recovery a lot more difficult, putting you at risk for post-operative complications for no reason.

There are a lot of factors that add time to your surgery, and each surgeon has a comfortable pace and rhythm. Its better for a surgeon to work at a speed that allows him or her to get you the best possible results, rather than speed through to give you an average result trying get it all done in one surgery.

I would recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon in person to get an accurate assessment on how much can be done in one surgery, because a lot of this is based on your exam and overall health.

Best of luck!