Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWeighing the BenefitsRecommended Wait TimesAverage Recovery TimesAnesthesia Safety
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Weighing the Benefits
Recommended Wait Times
Average Recovery Times
Anesthesia Safety
How soon you can have surgery following a previous surgical procedure largely depends on the circumstances. Six to 12-week wait times are typically recommended due to safety concerns involving the use of anesthesia multiple times in a short period, and to allow for optimal recovery before a new surgery.
When emergency surgeries are needed, the risk of delay is greater than the best timing. However, withelective surgeries, like many cosmetic procedures, there isn’t always a compelling reason to rush wait times in between. Because these procedures correct problems that aren’t life-threatening they can often be postponed or combined into a single surgical event.
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Weighing Benefits Against Harm
People who have a dozen or more surgeries within the span of a month tend to be the sickest people in the hospital. They may be trauma patients who need repeated surgeries to repair broken bones. They may be burn patients who need multipleskin graftsthat cannot wait.
If waiting poses no potential problems, however, back-to-back surgeries within a short period of time can be avoided. This can help to limit complications and improve recovery. Some surgeons andanesthesiologistsuse a Surgical Apgar Score (SAS), similar to the kind used for newborns, to predict surgery complication risks.These complications can include:
Making an Informed ChoiceIf you have a choice, it’s best to wait until you feel fully recovered from your initial surgery before planning a second. If that’s not possible, try to wait until you feel as good as you can expect to feel absent any unusual fatigue or residual surgical pain, and with a healedincision.This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be fully recovered. Some major surgeries may take up to a year of rehabilitation. Rather, you should be in the right condition to recover from a second surgery within the usual time.
Making an Informed Choice
If you have a choice, it’s best to wait until you feel fully recovered from your initial surgery before planning a second. If that’s not possible, try to wait until you feel as good as you can expect to feel absent any unusual fatigue or residual surgical pain, and with a healedincision.This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be fully recovered. Some major surgeries may take up to a year of rehabilitation. Rather, you should be in the right condition to recover from a second surgery within the usual time.
If you have a choice, it’s best to wait until you feel fully recovered from your initial surgery before planning a second. If that’s not possible, try to wait until you feel as good as you can expect to feel absent any unusual fatigue or residual surgical pain, and with a healedincision.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be fully recovered. Some major surgeries may take up to a year of rehabilitation. Rather, you should be in the right condition to recover from a second surgery within the usual time.
Surgeons vary on how long they want people to wait between procedures. Healthcare providers will recommend waiting six to 12 weeks between surgeries. They also may insist on an interval in which peoplestop smoking(a known surgery risk), lose weight, or otherwise prepare first.
Some factors may shorten the timeline. For example, an elective procedure to treat a bowel obstruction in people withcolon canceressentially changes an emergency into an elective option. Outcomes may be better if it’s done within a week of the original surgery to place astent.
Open heart surgeryis a good example of a procedure that should have longer wait times. Any surgery that takes many hours undergeneral anesthesiais going to have a much longerrecovery timethan a quick surgery you can recover from at home.
Sometimes it takes several surgeries across months and years to correct a congenital (at birth) defect. Wait times typically depend on what the surgeon’s treatment plan is.
Robotics and other surgical advances continue to improve recovery times.These are the current average recovery times for various procedures:
These recovery times can range from just a few days (as with local anesthesia commonly used during an electivevasectomy) to a year for full recovery from a total knee orhip replacement.
How Many Times Is It Safe to Go Under Anesthesia?
The number of times it is safe to go under anesthesia will depend on your specific situation, the types of procedures, and any co-occurring health problems. For most people, anesthesia is safe but the risks increase for people with heart disease, lung problems, and other conditions.
Therisks of anesthesiadepend on other factors also, including your age, existing medical conditions (likediabetes), and lifestyle factors like smoking. Most complications resolve quickly but can include:
The length of time anesthesia is needed will vary with the procedure; a heart transplant, for example, will require anesthesia for six to 12 hours. In some cases, the procedure may take even longer.
Talk with your surgeon and anesthesiologist about the type of anesthesia, your options, and how long and how often it is safe for you to be under anesthesia.
Surgery and Insurance ConsiderationsIf you’re rushing to do a second surgery because you’ve met yourinsurance deductible, work with your healthcare provider. Try to schedule the procedure and hospitalization as close to the end of the year as you can so you avoid paying more out of pocket ahead of the January 1 calendar-year change.
Surgery and Insurance Considerations
If you’re rushing to do a second surgery because you’ve met yourinsurance deductible, work with your healthcare provider. Try to schedule the procedure and hospitalization as close to the end of the year as you can so you avoid paying more out of pocket ahead of the January 1 calendar-year change.
Summary
Waiting times between surgeries vary depending on the situation. Emergency surgeries may need to be done close together, while elective surgeries typically should be spaced out to give you time to recover.
If you need two different surgeries, the one that corrects the worst problem will be done first. The second should be done after you have sufficiently recovered. Different surgeries have different recovery times. Work with your surgeon to decide how much time will be needed between procedures.
Understanding the Risks of Surgery
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mastalerz K, Kenig J, Olszewska U, Michalik C.The Surgical Apgar Score and frailty as outcome predictors in short- and long-term evaluation of fit and frail older patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy - a prospective cohort study.Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne. 2018 Sep;13(3):350-357. doi: 10.5114/wiitm.2018.75878.Kinoshita M, Morioka N, Yabuuchi M, Ozaki M.New surgical scoring system to predict postoperative mortality.J Anesth. 2017 Apr;31(2):198-205. doi:10.1007/s00540-016-2290-2.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Preparing for Surgery: Checklist.Kye BH, Kim JH, Kim HJ, Lee YS, Lee IK, Kang WK,et al.The optimal time interval between the placement of self-expandable metallic stent and elective surgery in patients with obstructive colon cancer.Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 11;10(1):9502. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66508-6.Thakare VS, Sontakke NG, Wasnik P Sr, Kanyal D.Recent Advances in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Techniques and Outcomes: A Narrative Review.Cureus. 2023 Sep 18;15(9):e45511. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45511.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.CABG Recovery from Surgery.Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.How Many Times is It Safe to Go Under Anesthesia?American Society of Anesthesiologists.Anesthesia Risks.Penn Medicine.Heart Transplant Surgery.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mastalerz K, Kenig J, Olszewska U, Michalik C.The Surgical Apgar Score and frailty as outcome predictors in short- and long-term evaluation of fit and frail older patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy - a prospective cohort study.Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne. 2018 Sep;13(3):350-357. doi: 10.5114/wiitm.2018.75878.Kinoshita M, Morioka N, Yabuuchi M, Ozaki M.New surgical scoring system to predict postoperative mortality.J Anesth. 2017 Apr;31(2):198-205. doi:10.1007/s00540-016-2290-2.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Preparing for Surgery: Checklist.Kye BH, Kim JH, Kim HJ, Lee YS, Lee IK, Kang WK,et al.The optimal time interval between the placement of self-expandable metallic stent and elective surgery in patients with obstructive colon cancer.Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 11;10(1):9502. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66508-6.Thakare VS, Sontakke NG, Wasnik P Sr, Kanyal D.Recent Advances in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Techniques and Outcomes: A Narrative Review.Cureus. 2023 Sep 18;15(9):e45511. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45511.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.CABG Recovery from Surgery.Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.How Many Times is It Safe to Go Under Anesthesia?American Society of Anesthesiologists.Anesthesia Risks.Penn Medicine.Heart Transplant Surgery.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mastalerz K, Kenig J, Olszewska U, Michalik C.The Surgical Apgar Score and frailty as outcome predictors in short- and long-term evaluation of fit and frail older patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy - a prospective cohort study.Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne. 2018 Sep;13(3):350-357. doi: 10.5114/wiitm.2018.75878.Kinoshita M, Morioka N, Yabuuchi M, Ozaki M.New surgical scoring system to predict postoperative mortality.J Anesth. 2017 Apr;31(2):198-205. doi:10.1007/s00540-016-2290-2.American Society of Anesthesiologists.Preparing for Surgery: Checklist.Kye BH, Kim JH, Kim HJ, Lee YS, Lee IK, Kang WK,et al.The optimal time interval between the placement of self-expandable metallic stent and elective surgery in patients with obstructive colon cancer.Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 11;10(1):9502. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66508-6.Thakare VS, Sontakke NG, Wasnik P Sr, Kanyal D.Recent Advances in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Techniques and Outcomes: A Narrative Review.Cureus. 2023 Sep 18;15(9):e45511. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45511.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.CABG Recovery from Surgery.Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.How Many Times is It Safe to Go Under Anesthesia?American Society of Anesthesiologists.Anesthesia Risks.Penn Medicine.Heart Transplant Surgery.
Mastalerz K, Kenig J, Olszewska U, Michalik C.The Surgical Apgar Score and frailty as outcome predictors in short- and long-term evaluation of fit and frail older patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy - a prospective cohort study.Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne. 2018 Sep;13(3):350-357. doi: 10.5114/wiitm.2018.75878.
Kinoshita M, Morioka N, Yabuuchi M, Ozaki M.New surgical scoring system to predict postoperative mortality.J Anesth. 2017 Apr;31(2):198-205. doi:10.1007/s00540-016-2290-2.
American Society of Anesthesiologists.Preparing for Surgery: Checklist.
Kye BH, Kim JH, Kim HJ, Lee YS, Lee IK, Kang WK,et al.The optimal time interval between the placement of self-expandable metallic stent and elective surgery in patients with obstructive colon cancer.Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 11;10(1):9502. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66508-6.
Thakare VS, Sontakke NG, Wasnik P Sr, Kanyal D.Recent Advances in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Techniques and Outcomes: A Narrative Review.Cureus. 2023 Sep 18;15(9):e45511. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45511.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.CABG Recovery from Surgery.
Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.How Many Times is It Safe to Go Under Anesthesia?
American Society of Anesthesiologists.Anesthesia Risks.
Penn Medicine.Heart Transplant Surgery.
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