Safety and Outcomes of Combined Aesthetic Surgical Procedures: A Retrospective Study of Risk Factors, Complication Rates, and Outcomes.

[INTRODUCTION] Combined aesthetic surgeries, where multiple cosmetic procedures are performed in a single operative session, have gained popularity due to benefits like shorter overall recovery time and reduced costs. However, the safety and outcomes associated with combining procedures remain variably reported. This study evaluates the risk factors, complication rates, and outcomes of combined versus individual aesthetic surgeries.

[METHODS] This retrospective analysis was conducted using patient records from two medical centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where aesthetic surgeries were performed by a senior surgeon. Patients were included if they underwent either a single aesthetic procedure or a combined set of procedures frequently paired with abdominoplasty, such as liposuction, breast augmentation, or mastopexy. Key outcomes assessed included complication rates (e.g., infections, seromas, hematomas), the incidence of reoperations, and hospital readmissions within 30 days postoperatively, which were collected to evaluate the overall safety and risk profile of combined versus individual aesthetic procedures.

[RESULTS] A total of 670 patients were analyzed, with a median age of 37 years and a majority being female (89.1%). Among the patients, 28.1% underwent combined procedures, most commonly abdominoplasty with liposuction (15.4%) and abdominoplasty with breast surgery (6.1%). The overall complication rate was 7.9%, with infections being the most frequent (28.3%). Combined procedures showed significantly higher complication rates compared to single procedures (49.1% vs. 26.3%, p < 0.001). Specifically, abdominoplasty combined with breast surgery and abdominoplasty combined with liposuction were associated with higher complication rates (p = 0.011 and p = 0.002, respectively).

[CONCLUSION] Combined aesthetic procedures carry a higher complication risk compared to individual surgeries, particularly when abdominoplasty is paired with liposuction or breast surgery. These findings highlight the need for careful patient selection, risk assessment, and thorough preoperative counseling to improve safety and patient satisfaction in combined aesthetic surgeries.

[LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III] This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.