As long as your body is in a healthy condition and free of any kind of diseases or disorders, especially those relating to high blood pressure, getting multiple cosmetic surgeries at once is generally safe. However, most board-certified plastic surgeons only combine a maximum of 2-3 surgeries at once for safety reasons.
Among these, liposuction with tummy tuck surgery is one of the most popular and trending combinations. Read on to find out more about multiple cosmetic surgeries.
What Are Combination Cosmetic Surgeries?
Also called multiple cosmetic surgeries, combination cosmetic surgeries are designed to be cost-effective and time-saving. They improve the overall surgical experience by bringing down the recovery time and providing multiple desired aesthetic results all at once.
Some of the most popular combinations of cosmetic surgeries include—tummy tuck surgery with liposuction, breast lift with breast augmentation and tummy tuck surgery with breast augmentation.
If you have multiple concerns to deal with then getting combination cosmetic surgeries can not only help you save a lot of time and the overall surgery cost but also provide better recovery. Since the recovery time for all of the surgeries that you undergo would be the same, you can cut down on having long recoveries which is ultimately beneficial for your physical, professional and social well-being.
Benefits of Combining Procedures
While combination plastic surgeries might not be the ideal solution for every patient due to medical reasons, people who are eligible for it can extract a multitude of benefits including—
- Cost-Effectiveness: Comparing the cost required to perform multiple surgeries in different appointments with combination surgical procedures, it is quite evident that multiple surgeries when done at once cost less, making it a cost-effective option.
- Decreased Downtime: Combination cosmetic surgeries make scope for faster recovery ultimately reducing the time you need for rest. Hence, it enables you to return to work, studies and your normal day-to-day life in a relatively short time.
- More convenience: Scheduling multiple appointments to address different concerns can be a troublesome task requiring more time and effort. Getting multiple cosmetic surgeries at once is therefore a more convenient option to address many issues at once.
Apart from these, when the same surgeon is performing multiple surgeries on you, they have a better idea of how to customize each surgery to complement the other. As a result, combination cosmetic surgeries generate better and more aesthetically pleasing results.
Common Combination Procedures
Some of the most popular and common combinations of cosmetic surgeries include—
- Tummy Tuck Surgery with Liposuction
- Blepharoplasty with Facelift
- Fat Transfer with Facelift
- Facelift with a Neck Lift
- Chin Augmentation with Rhinoplasty
- Breast Reduction with a Breast Lift
- Breast Lift with Breast Augmentation
- Tummy Tuck Surgery with Breast Augmentation
However, what combination would work best for you depends on individual goals and needs.
Some factors that play an important role in deciding what surgeries to choose for your goals include:
- Individual aesthetic concerns. Examples include breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation and fat reduction from specific body parts.
- The health status of your body
- Whether you need a comprehensive transformation or just contouring of some body parts
- Age-related concerns
- Your budget
- Lifestyle considerations
- Priority concerns (if any)
Safety Considerations
When you undergo multiple cosmetic surgeries together, the benefits are many. But at the same time, there are certain safety concerns that you must know about before making the decision to opt for combination cosmetic surgeries.
Some important safety concerns associated with combining surgeries include–
- Longer Surgical Duration: Combination cosmetics surgeries require you to stay in the surgical session for a longer than normal duration along with prolonged anaesthesia. Exposure to anaesthesia for a long span can be a risk for people with certain medical disorders.
- More Trauma: Since combination cosmetic surgeries are meant to deal with more than one physical issue, the trauma that your body undergoes during the surgery will also be more as many surgical procedures need to be carried out. Potential injuries can include infection, bleeding, and a slight delay in wound healing.
- Side Effects Of Anesthesia: Extended exposure to anaesthesia can sometimes result in the formation of blood clots which can be very harmful to your body if the blood clots move to the important organs and hamper in functioning. Although rare, sometimes anaesthesia can also give rise to allergies and certain respiratory problems.
That is why to minimize the risks associated with multiple cosmetic surgeries, it is crucial to hire a professionally qualified and highly experienced cosmetic surgeon.
A cosmetic surgeon who has years of experience, training and qualifications along with the right skill set can not only help you achieve your target results successfully but also enhance the overall experience.
They have a better understanding of complexities and the practices that they employ consist of safe surgical processes along with the right kind of technology that can help minimize pain and maximize comfort during the surgery.
Recovery Period
The recovery time varies for every individual based on the type of surgeries they have taken and the areas which are under consideration. In most cases, you will require the help of a family, a loved one or a nursing professional for the following 2 to 3 days after the surgery.
General recovery measures include–
- Dietary restrictions
- Intake of prescription-based medications
- Wound care might include regularly changing the wound dressing, keeping the surgical site clean and dry and avoiding contact with harmful agents.
- Avoidance of extensive physical activities
- Maintaining a balanced diet and drinking lots of water
- Adhering to compression garments as advised by your surgeon
Apart from these, it is equally important to visit your surgeon regularly to monitor your progress and undergo a smooth recovery.
Long-Term Results
When it comes to cosmetic surgery, you have to be very patient to see the final results.
That said, the first 2 weeks after surgery you have to be prepared to experience some kind of discomfort and be regular with your compression garments.
Here is a general timeline for seeing the final results of different types of combined cosmetic surgical procedures—
- Eyelid Surgery, Facelifts, Brow Lifts, Breast Augmentation: 3-6 months
- Rhinoplasty, Liposuction: Up to 12 months
- Neck Lift, Brazilian Butt Lift: 6 months
- Tummy Tuck, Breast Lift: Anywhere between 4-6 months
- Breast Reduction: Anywhere between 6-12 months
It is important to note that this is only a general overview of the timelines under which you can see visible results. The duration can decrease or increase based on individual factors.
Moreover, if you want to experience the best and the most long-lasting results post-surgery, it is important to adopt certain lifestyle habits.
Important maintenance tips include—
- If you have undergone surgeries for weight loss, you have to maintain a healthy weight through a good diet post-surgery.
- Engage in regular exercising if you have undergone liposuction or other body contouring procedures.
- If you have taken a facial rejuvenation procedure then it is crucial to adopt a healthy skincare routine and follow it strictly to get long-term results.
- Say no to smoking and overconsumption of alcohol
- Do not stay directly under the sun
- Drink enough water to stay hydrated
- Regular follow-up appointments can help monitor your condition and make improvements through necessary changes (if any)
Risks and Complications
Even though multiple cosmetic surgeries offer a lot of advantages, like any other surgery it also has its own list of potential complications which can occur if you don’t choose a well-reputed and well-qualified plastic surgeon.
Here are common complications associated with combination cosmetic surgeries—
- Anesthesia-related complications including respiratory problems and allergic Reactions
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Scarring
- Slow wound healing
- High risk of blood clot formation
- Negative impact on the immunity system
In some cases, the interaction between different surgical procedures can also produce certain unforeseeable complications.
That is why you must always choose a well-reputed and well-qualified plastic surgeon to perform the surgery as it involves a high amount of risk and can be dangerous to your physical well-being if not done with the right sterilization techniques using the right kind of tools.
Conclusion
To summarise, while it is generally safe to get multiple cosmetic surgeries, you must consult a good plastic surgeon to evaluate your own specific needs and suggest the best possible treatments to achieve the results that you truly desire.
Apart from this, it is equally important to carry out your own research regarding the particular surgeries that you have in your mind to make an informed decision.
