Can I combine cosmetic surgery procedures?

Can I combine cosmetic surgeries

It may seem daunting to combine multiple plastic surgery procedures into one operation. Yet, under the supervision of an experienced Specialist Plastic Surgeon, it can be a safe approach writes Dr Gavin Sandercoe, Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) member.

If you are interested in combining plastic surgery procedures to address several areas of the face or body at once, or to achieve more dramatic and transformative results, you should book in for a consultation with a Specialist Plastic Surgeon.  Your surgeon can evaluate your situation, explain the benefits and risks and recommend whether what you are looking to do can be achieved safely.

Possible Benefits of Combining Procedures

Saves time:

Having more than one cosmetic procedure in a single operation might save you time, depending on which surgeries are combined.  Instead of booking separate procedures, consultations and recoveries, you can streamline the process and spend less time in the operating room and our office.

Single recovery period:

After a plastic surgery procedure, you must plan to spend at least one to two weeks recuperating.  You will need to take time off from work, and have arrangements in place for your family responsibilities, such as childcare.  By combining procedures, you can make it easier on yourself by only having to plan for one period of recovery.

Achieve your ultimate results faster:

Combining procedures into one operation can help you achieve your desired results more quickly if the surgeries that are combined do not work against each other.  Instead of spacing out procedures into separate operations and having to recover in between each surgery — usually three months between procedures — you can complete your transformation quickly.

Possible cost savings:

Combining procedures may result in some costs savings, depending on which surgeries are combined.  Medical billing in Australia is very complex, and some operations will be more expensive if combined due to Medicare and Private Health Fund rules.  For example, if a circumferential body lift is performed with any other procedure, then the entire operation is classed as cosmetic and receives no financial help from Medicare or your health fund.

Commonly Combined Procedures

Although there can be benefits to combining plastic surgery procedures, not every procedure can or should be performed during the same operation.  A good rule of thumb for combining procedures is that they should be in the same area of the body.  For example, while it may be safe to perform two surgeries on the breasts, it is less safe to treat the buttocks and abdomen during the same operation.

The following procedures are often combined:

  • Mummy makeover – Women who want to recapture their pre-baby body can elect to combine a tummy tuck with breast surgery to address changes brought about by childbearing. Any liposuction performed during the abdominoplasty can be upcycled into a fat transfer to the breasts.
  • Facelift with eyelid lift– Facelift with blepharoplasty can minimise signs of ageing in the eye area as well as the cheeks and jawline.
  • Arm and medial thigh reductions – Brachioplasty and medial thigh reduction at the same time is a common procedure for patients that have lost a lot of weight. Again, the fat that is harvested in liposuction can be upcycled into a fat transfer to the breasts, buttocks or face.

It’s important to remember that a Specialist Plastic Surgeon will advise you on the safest and most effective way to proceed with your cosmetic surgery journey.  If they do not feel it’s in your best interests to combine certain surgeries, you should consider this information seriously.

FIND A WORLD CLASS SPECIALIST PLASTIC SURGEON

For your cosmetic surgery