Multiple procedures, what do you think?

Looking for some wisdom.  I've done 2 consultations so far, and I have a third scheduled for tomorrow.  I'm looking at getting an extended abdominoplasty, breast reduction/lift, and brachioplasty.  The two surgeons I've met with have concerns about keeping me under for more than 6 hours.  They say the breasts and tummy will take about that long, so they don't want to do the arms at the same time.  They both recommend doing the tummy in one surgery, and then doing breasts and arms in a second surgery.  Time under anesthesia is their biggest worry, but they also worry about recovery from multiple procedures at the same time.

I had an idea that I want to discuss with the surgeon I'm meeting tomorrow.  I wonder if a regional anesthetic (epidural or spinal) would be sufficient for the tummy.  Would it be possible to do regional for the abdominoplasty and then switch to general for the breasts and arms?  Anyone done something like this?  Anyone not gone under general for their plastic surgery?

How about the recovery from something like this?  One doctor recommended doing the tummy surgery, and then doing the arms and breasts 2 weeks later.  Anyone done that?

Thanks in advance for your help!

They use epidurals in other countries all the time. Not sure if they do in the U.S. or not, but I know that both of my C-Sections in the U.S. were done with Epidurals.

My biggest worry with such a long surgery is that I might not get as good of a result because it has to be terribly tiring on the surgeon to stand there for hours doing all of those stitches. Now if you have two surgeons working on you at the same time, it would reduce both your time under and fatique of the surgeons. 

Not sure, but I'll be watching to see what solutions you come up with.

 I personally think having that all done together is too much....both in terms of time under and the recovery.  I just had extended tummy tuck and back lipo ten days ago and I would not want to be recovering from another procedure at the same time....that was enough. 
I do like the idea of doing the tummy and then two weeks later the rest......I think that is very reasonable.  and you still have really one big recovery but stretched out just a little.
I get wanting it all done so fast but the recovery is prob harder than u think .  I also agree that I would not want my surgeon working for that many hour straight...too tiring.

Good luck to you
Patty

I will be getting supracervical partial hysterectomy and corset trunkplasty done, along with lipo of hips and thighs.  My surgeon will not do breasts at same time as tummy.  He does them in separate surgeries.

All surgeons are different in their approach. Mine would only do abdomen alone, then arms/breasts 3 months later. Reasons were related to difficulty with recovery as well as time under.

I cannot imagine not being able to use my arms if I had belly surgery. I needed my arms- big time- after my abd work. And after my brachio, I could not do anything for days. And the pain in my arms was incredible.

I'm happy he split it up. I wanted it all done at once. He said no.

I had to trust.

Boy, he was right.

As far as anesthesia, I have not seen a surgeon around here not use General.

I had brachio and abdominoplasty together 2 weeks ago.  I had no problems with them done together.  My PS also will not do more than 2 procedures at once.  I had surgery on the 6th and back to work full time on the 17th.  I feel great!  Good luck with your decision.

I did not have my breasts done, but I did do my arms and two weeks later I had abdominoplasty and inner thigh lift.  This worked out well as the arms had enough time to recover so I could use them as since I couldn't use my legs much and my stomach was well useless!

 I had multiple procedures done last month my first surgery was bodywork.  It was 13 hours done using an epidural and twighlight sleep.  I woke up from the surgery and stayed up all night and the next day until 7 pm when I went to sleep.  I was up walking around the morning after surgery.  The day after that I was walking the halls in the clinic.

I personally wanted it all at once.  There was my main surgeon, an assistant surgeon, two nurses and an anesthesiologist.  Dr. Sauceda checked in after each procedure to determine if I was stable to begin the next procedure.  I felt very safe and the work turned out beautifully.

I agree with the posters above.  I am 4 weeks out from having an extended tummy tuck and BL/BA.  I could not imagine not being able to use my arms during this recovery.  My surgery was about 7 hours.  I was under sedation and had a local.  I did not have general.  So, I was breathing on my on the entire time.  I prefer this method.  The recovery after was much easier than with general that I had with WLS.  The the WLS I was only about an hour.  I can't imagine what it would have been like after 7 hours!