Many of our Charlotte-area patients desire more than one cosmetic procedure to help achieve their desired look. Mothers looking to rejuvenate their bodies post-pregnancy often seek several surgical options that may include a breast lift with augmentation, or tummy tuck and labiaplasty to help restore their bodies to pre-pregnancy form. Likewise, patients who seek to remove excess skin after massive weight loss often wish to undertake multiple procedures in order to tighten loose skin around the stomach, arms, thighs and elsewhere on the body. These patients often hope to combine abdominoplasty, brachioplasty and liposuction into a single operation.

Plastic surgery procedures require adequate downtime for patients to recover properly. Many patients seek to combine surgical procedures in order to maximize this recovery time effectively. However, just like any surgical procedure–plastic surgery comes with associated health risks. As more time is spent under anesthesia on the operating table these health risks may increase, and combining multiple procedures into a single appointment may increase this time greatly.

If you are seeking multiple surgical solutions in the Huntersville area, set-up a consultation with Dr. Erik Miles to discuss your options for your desired procedures.

What is the difference between combined procedures and staged procedures?

Combined procedures involve multiple procedures performed at the same time, whereas staged procedures parse out multiple procedures into different surgical sessions. Typically these staged procedures are still performed within a short period of time.

Long procedures and increased time spent under general anesthesia both are risk factors for surgical complications. Because of this, many plastic surgeons prefer to limit multiple surgeries to those that can be performed under local anesthetics. Surgeons prefer to keep patient time under general anesthesia at a minimum. Therefore combined procedures may be appropriate for some complementary procedures (like breast augmentation and lift). In other circumstances however, staging multiple procedures over a few days or weeks may be recommended for safety and to reduce minor wound healing complications. If performed on proximal days, staged procedures still allow for a single recovery period.

Patients may also prefer to stage their surgeries versus combining surgeries to manage pain. Staged surgeries stagger the acute pain related to surgery over several days, week or months instead of compounding surgical pain into a single event.

While there are a few increased risk factors associated with it, combined surgery is still safe when planned and performed by a qualified and experienced surgeon like Dr. Miles. Many patients prefer to combine surgeries in order to reduce time spent in the operating room, and to manage costs and healing times.

Dr. Erik Miles and the staff at North Charlotte Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery put the health and safety of our patients first. If you are seeking multiple surgeries, we will take time during your consultation to discuss your options for combined surgery as well as the possibility of staging surgeries in a way that is still economical and convenient for you. We want you to be informed about all of your surgical options. We will evaluate your risk factors and surgical needs thoroughly during the consultation and walk you through recommendations for surgery that will lead to the best possible outcomes based on your unique needs.

To set-up a consultation today, please call our office in the Lake Norman area at (704) 896-5556.