29 Sep 2025
“Killing two birds with one stone” continues to be a popular idiom as it is the nature of most humans to want to get the most benefit for the least amount of effort. Some might call this lazy, but it’s not. It’s efficient. Cavemen and women had to conserve their energy for hunting down food. Nowadays, we can go to the grocery store yet time may be more precious than ever. This is one of the many reasons why so many of my Boston area patients come in asking about combination procedures. Stacking procedures can be a nice way to address multiple problem areas on the body in one treatment. There are any number of benefits, including a single recovery window, but there are also some important considerations — primarily, is your desired stack going to be safe? At Boston Center for Plastic Surgery (BCPS), we have always and will always prioritize patient safety. It makes no sense to save time on the treatment only to wind up with a complication during your recovery. So, here is what you need to know about stacking procedures.
Benefits of Stacking Procedures
Stacking procedures is just another term for a combination procedure. It refers to two or more aesthetic procedures that are performed during a single treatment. They may be non-surgical, surgical or a combination of the two. The benefits of stacking procedures include:
- Single recovery window
- Only one anesthesia fee
- If surgical, save money with a single OR or surgical center fee
- Fewer office visits
- Synergistic results
While the primary appeal to patients is that stacking procedures requires less downtime and may cost less, the main appeal for a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, such as myself, is that it allows me to deliver a 360° result. Addressing an area of the body in isolation can lead to an uneven outcome. Since a natural looking result is a pillar of my practice philosophy, my treatment plans will often include more than one procedure at once assuming that it is safe for your unique anatomy.
Safety Considerations with a Stacked Procedure
As mentioned, your safety is my number one concern. The best result in the world is not going to matter if something happens that may compromise your health and/or recovery. One of the top ways to ensure that you are in excellent hands is to choose a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area. It’s a simple way to guarantee that the person working on your body has extensive experience and training. This is not just critical in terms of delivering your desired result, but also because if a complication does arise, and they do even in the best of hands, your surgeon will know how to deal with it. Next, it is important to keep in mind that any stacked surgical procedure is going to increase your overall time under anesthesia. Generally, I do not combine procedures that will take more than 6 hours to perform. Other safety considerations with a stacked procedure include:
- Higher risk of post-op complications with multiple healing areas
- Only one recovery time but it may be more intense
Common Stacked Procedures in Boston
As a body contouring expert, my most common stacked procedures include the following:
- Breast augmentation + Fat Grafting to the Breasts
- Mastopexy Augmentation (Breast Implant + Breast Lift)
- Mommy Makeover (Breast Surgery + Abdominal Surgery)
- Gynecomastia Surgery + Liposuction to the Chest
- Liposuction + Renuvion®
For the face, it is highly probable that you’ve already undergone the most popular stacked procedure of Botox® + Dermal Fillers. The former addresses movement lines while the latter restores volume/shape. I will also often prescribe an appropriate energy-based treatment such as microneedling/RF to improve skin tone and texture with an individualized medical-grade skincare routine for improving upon and maintaining your youthful looking results. Stacking procedures allows me to fully create and/or restore proper proportion in your treatment area which is the bedrock of rejuvenation.
To find out more about any surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
