Multiple surgical procedures can safely be performed at the same time providing; it is done by an experienced, properly trained plastic surgeon with a team who routinely and efficiently performs combination procedures, the patient is properly selected for the procedures and proper safety guidelines are closely adhered to.
One of the most important factors in performing several procedures at the same time is the length of surgery. Although there is no universally agreed upon time limit most surgeons would probably agree that the limit falls between 4-6 hours. Many surgeons use 5 hours as a limit. Complication rates begin to rise as the length of surgery exceeds this time frame. In order to safely and effectively perform several procedures within this timeframe it is very important that the surgeon and his or her team are highly trained and routinely perform these combinations in an efficient manner.
A very important member of the team is the anesthesiologist. An anesthesiologist who routinely performs with the team understands the various details important to an ideal outcome and ideal postoperative recovery.
In order to properly select patients for lengthy surgical procedure such as this many factors need to be taken into consideration. Some these include the patient’s BMI, any history of pulmonary problems, a history of sleep apnea, and the presence of diabetes or heart problems. Every patient should undergo a risk assessment for the development of a DVT (blood clot) and/or pulmonary embolism. If a significant risk is identified appropriate steps must be taken to satisfactorily reduce the risk.
When preparing a patient for a combination procedure it is very important to properly educate them on what to expect during the recovery and the homecare they will need.
Many patients comment that the results of these combinations are truly life-changing. Fortunately today, these life-changing combination procedures can be safely performed as long as it is done by highly trained and efficient surgical teams on properly selected patients with safety as the primary consideration.