As I was jotting down ideas about possible blog topics, I thought it might be interesting to share the experience of one of my patients, Kim.
Kim came to see me regarding her desire for a breast augmentation. After having two children and breastfeeding both of them, her breasts had lost their youthful shape and fullness. She was unhappy with the way she looked and was eager to regain her cleavage.
As I talked with her about the procedure and learned more about her desired breast size, Kim confided in me that she never liked her nose. She disliked the shape and the large bump, and was bothered by her profile. “Every time I looked in the mirror, all I saw was the size of my nose,” she said. She then asked if it would be possible to do two surgeries (breast augmentation and rhinoplasty) at the same time.
What Kim inquired about is something that I have done many times over. I’ve often had patients request two surgeries, and depending on what they are and the amount of time required for each one, this can certainly be done.
In Kim’s case, there would be no problem performing breast augmentation and rhinoplasty at the same time. And, that’s exactly what we did. Doing both procedures at one time saved her time and money because there was only one operating room fee and one anesthesia fee. It’s actually quite efficient for those wishing to have two surgical procedures during one session.
Even though Kim had two surgeries, her recovery was quite simple. “While I did have some pain from the breast augmentation, I had very little pain from the rhinoplasty,” said Kim. “But Dr. Epstein explained everything to me in advance, so I knew exactly what to expect before going in,” she said. “Everything he told me was exactly the way it was. There were no surprises and I was well prepared.”
During Kim’s post-op visit, I asked her if she felt like she made the right decision to undergo two surgeries at the same time. Without hesitation, she answered yes!
“I was very excited about the breast augmentation, which is what I originally came in for,” she said. “But when I look at my new nose, I am so grateful that I spoke up during my consultation and told Dr. Epstein that I was considering rhinoplasty, too. Having them both done at the same time was definitely one of the best decisions I ever made.”
If you are considering more than one plastic surgery procedure, I’d be happy to discuss your options and whether or not doing them at the same time would be the right choice for you.
