The Pros and Cons of Combining Plastic Surgery Procedures

When a patient is considering liposuction in order to remove some unwanted fat from the body, a common question that’s asked is, “Should I combine several different procedures into one visit or should I get them done separately?” For example, a patient may want to combine: doing the abdomen, thighs, and buttock all at one time. Or they may want to combine neck liposuction with a face lift or botox treatment. Generally speaking, is it better or worse to get many procedures done at once?

There are several practical advantages to combining plastic surgery procedures. One is cost: just as buying in bulk can save money at the supermarket, doing several surgeries at once often is less expensive then getting them done separately. Another advantage is a lesser use of anesthesia. Anesthesia presents one of the greatest risks of complications, so that the fewer times one is subjected to it, the lower the risk of serious after-effects.

Unfortunately, that’s about it for the advantages; there are many more potential disadvantages. One has to do with getting excessive liposuction. Even with today’s modern liposuction techniques, which have a high degree of safety and effectiveness, it’s important to remember that any invasive procedure is going to cause some kind of trauma. The body has limits to the amount of trauma that it can take at one time, and it must recover sufficiently before it can be subjected to more traumas. Therefore it is usually recommended that only smaller procedures be combined.

Of course ultimately the patient must make this decision in conjunction with a board-certified liposuction surgeon. A skilled doctor will likely evaluate your overall health, the types of procedures to be done, and your general fitness before discussing the best options for you. Don’t be afraid to ask you doctor questions and to be receptive to his or her training and expertise.