Multiple Surgeries Following Weight Loss

After dropping 50+kg, I am needing a few surgeries. Tummy Tuck Thigh Lift Arm Lift Breast Lift with some fill Some lipo possible also. I have had 1 appointment with a surgeon who agrees with what I want done. Time is my issue. I am wanting to speak with a surgeon who will perform all of the surgeries over a few days, or use 2 surgeons during the same theatre time (I have a friend who is having this done in WA, but I don't really want to travel). Full private health, and some (fingers crossed) will be Medicare applicable due to the weight loss issues. I have a period of time where my business pretty much stops for 4 weeks, so to be able to do it all then is ideal.

May 10th, 2016 NSW

  • Answer
     Pouria Moradi

    Pouria Moradi

    13 answers

    Plastic Surgeon
    New South Wales, Australia


    Thanks for sharing your story.Generally speaking most plastic surgeons are happy to perform 3 body parts in 1 operation with the help of an assistant.Should you want 4 body parts, i.e. breast, body, arms and thigh, then it is a good idea to have 2 plastic surgeons and 1 assistant.This is the safest and most cost effective approach.Dr Phoon and I do these together at East Sydney Private Hospital, here is a video of one we did last year for the show "Changing Faces"
    http://www.changingfacestv.com/episode-3/
    I hope this helps and good luck.
  • Answer
    Dr. Alex Phoon

    Alex Phoon

    26 answers

    Plastic Surgeon
    New South Wales, Australia

    Hi Honey,
    Firstly, congratulations on your weight loss. It is a massive effort to lose that kind of weight and real credit to you and your determination. From a medical point of view it is very common for abdominal and breast procedures to be performed at the same. Some people like to call these kind of procedures 'mummy makeovers' and the risks are really not that much worse than having those procedures in isolation.
    If you want to have thighs and arms done at the same time then studies have shown that the risks start to go up both with the operative time involved as well as the sheer number of areas being treated. Dr Moradi and myself like to reduce these risks by performing your surgery in a  2 team approach. This way the length of time is dramatically reduced and you also have the benefit of having 2 experienced surgeons looking after you.
    As Dr Moradi has stated below you can see a video of us performing this kind of surgery here http://www.changingfacestv.com/episode-3/. We also have multiple patients who have had this kind of journey that have offered to talk to other patients so that you have a patient's perspective on what to expect.

    Having 2 surgeons does help significantly but doesn't take away from the fact that it is still a big operation with both minor and major risks.  If you like you can call Christine our patient coordinator to make an appointment on 1300669488 and we can discuss it face to face.
    All the best,
    Alex 

  • Answer
    Dr. Raymond Goh

    Raymond Goh

    123 answers

    Plastic Surgeon
    Queensland, Australia

    Hi there. Thanks for posting your question.
    The main issues that patients need to realise when having multiple surgeries performed on different parts of their body simultaneously as part of body contouring after massive weight loss is the insult it has on the body and the time been under a general anaesthesia. The more procedures are combined, the greater the time of surgery and, similarly, the greater the degree of blood loss and risks of other potential complications, such as deep vein thrombosis, heart and lung issues, infection, and wound healing problems. Sometimes patients may even need to be admitted into the intensive care unit for the above reasons.
    Depending on your general health, it may be advisable to stage your procedures, focusing on the areas that bother you the most. Which operations are performed together will be a clinical decision that your surgeon will have to make after a thorough clinical assessment.
    All the very best.
    Dr Ray Goh