The Plastic Surgery Channel

Surgery Add-Ons: Double The Value and Satisfaction

Some might call it a “combo,” others would say it’s a “two for one.” Either way, patients are opting to receive more than one plastic surgery procedure while under anesthesia – surgery add-ons. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Tiffany McCormack of Reno explains why the growing trend of surgery add-ons makes sense.

Why Dual Procedures

Patients who have already committed to taking time off for a plastic surgery procedure, especially one involving general anesthesia, might as well fully utilize that opportunity. It’s a practice that is gaining traction, and for good reason says Dr. Tiffany McCormack. “A lot of patients come into my office and ask me about what else they can have done while they are under,” she explains.

McCormack says it’s very common to double up on procedures during a mommy makeover. “During a mommy makeover, we would typically perform a breast augmentation and a tummy tuck at the same time.” McCormack says some operations fit together well and don’t require extra recovery. She says it’s important to look at each person as a whole body, not as individual parts.”We need to look at people with 360 degrees, that’s important.”

McCormack says the best example of this is the abdomen.”If someone says I have lose skin or stretch marks on my tummy, then we have to look at their flanks, buttocks and back, to fully treat that patient and that could lead to liposuction and contouring all the way around,” says McCormack. She says without adding on to the initial treatment, a patient is left with a flat stomach, but other areas that might need work are left untreated.

What’s The Right Combo?

It’s important that the procedures be complementary, according to McCormack, who says that she advises patients what is available during the initial consultation. “I try to do a full assessment of the area (on the body) that we are talking about during the consultation.”

McCormack says a good example of the perfect fit is facial rejuvenation. “When it comes to the face, we’ll talk about the lifting aspect and the eyelids, the lips, the neck area and then of course, tackling the texture of the skin, which isn’t always covered with a facelift.”

She says that coupling a facial surgery with a texturing procedure produces a nice result. “Sometimes using a laser or a radio frequency micro needling procedure can really help with the texture of the neck or the face, in addition to the lifting.”

 

 

Double Up = Happy Patients

Most patients want to spend as little time and money on plastic surgery as possible. McCormack says the practice of surgery add-ons decreases the price tag when a patient isn’t required to have multiple surgeries. It often translates into a happier patient when several issues can be resolved in one surgery. “When it comes to patient satisfaction, I think a lot of patients are happy that something was pointed out to them that they didn’t notice before,” she explains.
Overall, McCormack says the trend of surgery add-ons seems to be one that will continue to be popular because it’s a win-win. “A lot of smaller procedures don’t add a lot of expense, or downtime, so it’s saving money and surgical time later on and you just have to recover from a few different things,” says McCormack.