I here it all the time....if I had only known, I would have had a tummy tuck when I had.....fill in the blank. I must say that one of the great things about having experience and credentials in two fields (General and Cosmetic Surgery) allows me to offer a number of options that many cannot. Of course Cosmetic procedures can be combined. We do it all the time...tummy tuck with liposuction....face lift with eyelid surgery....tummy tuck with breast lift or augmentation....and the list goes on. I will usually combine procedures as long as it takes less than around 4 hours. I feel that this is a safe limit for anesthesia and for me this is about the limit of concentration for me and the surgery crew. If I think adding procedures can be done in this time limit and it makes sense, we can do it. If not, we divide the procedures into different days.
But what about combining cosmetic and Non-cosmetic procedures?? At Total Body Surgical we do them all the time. It saves time and money for our patients. One anesthetic and one recovery period gets people back to normal quickly instead of doing both twice.
The most common combination is a hysterectomy and tummy tuck. This is an ideal combination. The incision for a hysterectomy is low and transverse in the abdomen. The tummy tuck incision is in the same area. Hysterectomies are usually a fairly quick procedure and when combined with a tummy tuck the 4 hour time limit is more than enough time to do both, with considerable time to spare. At Total Body Surgical we enlist (or are enlisted by) the OB/GYN surgeons Dr Thomas or Dr Dietz. Most women having hysterectomies have had one or more children with the common pooch, stretch marks, and loose skin that goes along with it. It is the perfect combination....one anesthesia....one recovery.
The second most common is hernias and a tummy tuck. Many people have belly button, inguinal, or incisional hernias that need to be fixed. These repairs can be done in conjunction with a tummy tuck very easily. Depending on the size and location of the hernia I can either fix it laparoscopic or open. The incisions are not made through the skin as the skin is moved out of the way during the tummy tuck. The repair can be done with mesh if needed and AGAIN, one anesthetic and one recovery period!!
The third procedure is the cholecystectomy. The most common general surgical procedure can easily be done in conjunction with a tummy tuck. The skin is moved as with a normal tummy tuck, then the gall bladder is removed through laparoscopes and the tummy tuck is completed. There is no sign of the procedure afterwards and only one anesthetic and one recovery.
Procedures that do not fit with cosmetic surgery are bowel surgeries. These procedures are "dirty" procedures by nature due to bowel contents and just don't fit due to infection risks.
Sooo, if you were thinking about a tummy tuck and then had the bomb dropped that you also need a cholecystectomy or hysterectomy or hernia....come see us at Total Body Surgical and we may be able to save you time and money. Check our portfolio page and see if you can pick which tummy tucks were combined procedures....there are some!!!
Call 918-786-7780 or fill out a contact form and we will call you. Don't forget our special offers on liposuction, treatment of nail fungus, lap bands, and fillers. Please feel free to write comments or suggestions for other blog topics AND like us on FB!!!