You come to a consultation appointment seeking options to improve one or more areas of your face. Your facial plastic surgeon will evaluate and discuss a comprehensive plan that will meet these goals. Combining surgical and non-invasive procedures may be part of the plan. Is it right for you?

If your facial plastic surgeon determines that two surgical procedures would be necessary to achieve the desired affects you are looking for, there are some advantages to having them done at the same time. For example, if a patient is unhappy with the size of their nose, a surgeon may recommend rhinoplasty (nose surgery) to reduce the size of the nose, in addition to a chin implant to balance the proportions of the face. The patient could opt to have these performed separately; however, combining the procedures—recommended on a case-by-case basis—can offer certain benefits. They include:

• Less overall appointments
• Less time in surgery
• Overlap in recovery
• Less time off of work
• Less time to achieve desired results
• Less cost, due to less doctor, anesthesia, and facility fees

The ability to combine a surgical and non-surgical procedure at the same time depends on the combination. For example, if a patient is unhappy with the appearance of their neck, jaw line, and area around his or her mouth due to laugh lines, the facial plastic surgeon may recommend a facelift and dermal filler injection. The facelift would reduce the sagging skin in the lower two-thirds of the face and neck. The dermal filler would specifically target and improve the appearance of the laugh lines.

Combining minimal invasive treatments is quite common, although the advantages are not as significant. For example, a patient concerned with wrinkles between the brows and on the sides of the mouth (laugh lines), may decide to have Botox injections to treat the forehead wrinkles and a dermal filler to treat the laugh lines. While it is more efficient to get them done at the same time, there may not be a cost advantage.

Whether you are combining procedures or considering having them individually, the most important decision is trusting your face to facial plastic surgeon with specialized training and experience. You can ensure that you will be presented with all of the options to achieve the best and most natural results possible.