American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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cathyb
6 years ago
Answered

2 procedures

it is possible to do a tummy tuck and arm lift at the same time

Procedure: Tummy Tuck

Replies 14

Darren Smith
ASPS Surgeon
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Hi- thank you for your question. Yes, this is definitely possible. You should seek out an ASPS member-surgeon who has experience in combined body contouring procedures, as special techniques are necessary to ensure a safe, smoothe experience.

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Kent Hasen
ASPS Surgeon
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Body contouring procedures like a tummy tuck and arm lift are commonly done together as long as the planned surgery would not be too long. So if it was a typical tummy tuck and arm lift, the time under anesthesia would not be too long and they should be able to be done together. It is best to consult with a ASPS board certified Plastic surgeon who does a lot of body contouring surgery to find out if you are in fact a good candidate for these procedures.

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Jason Petrungaro
ASPS Surgeon
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Yes, it is absolutely possible to do an arm lift and a tummy tuck at the same time. In the interest of patient safety, most surgeons and surgery centers would like to keep surgeries under 8 hours (and where I operate they won't let surgeries go over 6 hours), so if your surgeon feels the two procedures can be done together in a reasonable amount of time, then it is safe and possible. Best of luck!

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Jonathan Zelken
ASPS Surgeon
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This is certainly possible in a healthy patient with moderate excess. Patients who have enjoyed major weight loss can have major excesses, and this would be one class of patients where I would think twice about multiple procedures. Operations that are less than 5-6 hours long are often performed in an outpatient setting.

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Moneer Jaibaji
ASPS Surgeon

Generally speaking you can have both procedures at the same time. Your plastic surgeon surgeon will advise you on this. However, to be more accurate, it will depend on the type of tummy tuck ( mini, standard, circumferential) and the type of arm lift. And whether liposuction is needed.

Your consultation with will help clarify all that.

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Frank Agullo
ASPS Surgeon
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It is common to perform a tummy tuck and arm lift at the same time. As a general rule any combination taking less than six hours and perform a certified surgical center is safe without any additional risks.

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William Stoeckel
ASPS Surgeon

Completing these surgeries together is possible and can be completed safely. But there are very good reasons to consider separating the procedures into two surgeries. Both the tummy tuck and the arm lift surgery requires making and then healing large incisions. I have found that the risk of wound healing complications is quite a bit lower when separating these procedures. Most patients that are looking to have both of these procedures completed have had massive weight loss and seem to be at a slightly higher risk for complications as it is. My patients that have combined these procedures have done well, but do report that it would have been nice to have full use of their arms when recovering from their tummy tucks. My advice would be to stay conservative and plan for two procedures.

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Michael Kulick
ASPS Surgeon
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The real key is your health and the examination that occurs at the time of your consultation. Your expectations are also important. That is the value of a consultation with a Board Certified plastic surgeon. You should be guided based on your surgeon's experience.

Hope this helps

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Rick Rosen
ASPS Surgeon

You should be in good health without significant medical problems, and pick a surgeon who is used to performing multiple procedures at the same session. I would recommend you go for a consultation from a board certified plastic surgeon and start there.

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Donald Griffin
ASPS Surgeon

This is a common combination of procedures for weight loss patients. Your surgeon will need to make sure that you are a good candidate for both and that you are in good health.

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Jon Ver Halen

Dear CathyB,

Yes, these procedures are frequently performed together. Keep in mind that it is safest to keep you total operative time under 6 hours to minimize complications. In the right hands, this goal should be possible. You can use the ASPS Find a Surgeon feature to locate a surgeon who performs these procedures in your area. Good luck!

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Fatema Al Subhi

Thank you for your question

Yes and No

Yes you can, however you hsve to make sure with your qualified plastic surgeon that you are a good candidate for this. Special parameters are important to determine if you can or you can not.

Good luck

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Samuel Maurice
ASPS Surgeon
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Thank you for your question. In my practice, I often combine surgeries such as a tummy tuck and arm lift in healthy patients.

I find that combing procedures is often more convenient for patients, but it does lengthen the procedure, and you would have post-operative restrictions for both recovering areas . A careful review of your medical history would be important to make sure you are a good candidate.

I hope this helps!

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Michael Law
ASPS Surgeon

Is it possible to perform a tummy tuck and arm lift together? In some cases, yes. However, I would likely stage these procedures. New advancements in plastic surgery have made recovery much more comfortable than ever before. I want my patients to have the most comfortable recovery possible. After a tummy tuck, patient may rely on arm strength more during recovery, Patients recovering from an arm lift may rely more on abs.

I take into consideration the health of each patient before surgery and also their lifestyle. Do they have children, do they live alone? Who is available to care for them post-operatively?

Of course, there may be exceptions. Some patients can obtain desired results from an arm lift from a limited incision under the arm only. A tummy tuck can range from a mini tummy tuck to a much more significant procedure. I would evaluate each patient individually and discuss recovery options to help determine what is safe and also what is most comfortable for my patient.

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