Same-session multiple procedures in office-based surgery: a warning for the growing and dangerous field of office surgery

This paper discuss the safety of multiple procedures performed in the same operative session in ambulatory surgical centers. Reporting the case of a 24-year-old woman who presented to a private ambulatory surgical center for multiple procedures, including bilateral liposuction, bilateral mammaplasty, and rhinoplastic surgery. The patient underwent programmed surgical procedures under general anesthesia. After an hematoma formation and its drainage, the general condition of the patient was life-threatening, and she was transferred to the hospital. The patient was released with a final diagnosis of respiratory insufficiency, areas of pulmonary consolidation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, massive hemorrhagic anemia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Our case emphasizes the high risks related to the execution of multiple procedures of aesthetic surgery in office-based surgical facilities that are not properly equipped to face emergencies and possible postoperative complications.