Liposuction is considered cosmetic surgery and will likely not be covered by most health insurance plans. To find the best surgeon and technique, it’s wise to meet with several surgeons for a consultation to create personalized goals and receive all-in cost estimates.
Liposuction requires advanced training, knowledge, and quality equipment to deliver optimal results. You are assured of optimal outcomes by selecting only top-quality tools for use during liposuction procedures.
1. Surgeon’s Fee
Liposuction is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic procedures, providing an effective means for targeting stubborn pockets of fat resistant to diet and exercise alone. Liposuction can also add volume to specific body parts, like breasts. As it requires general anesthesia for its invasive process, liposuction costs more than less invasive body contouring methods like CoolSculpting.
Surgeon experience and training levels can affect liposuction costs; more experienced plastic surgeons with satisfied patient testimonials may charge higher rates for their services.
Liposuction costs vary based on the treatment areas that need liposuction. Larger spaces like the abdomen, flanks (love handles), arms, and other prominent regions require more time and cost-intensive procedures than smaller treatment areas such as the chin or inner thighs. Furthermore, scarring or other complications that make performing liposuction harder may impact cost; for instance, if you suffer from PAH caused by previous liposuction procedures or body contouring techniques like CoolSculpting, then your doctor must address these issues during your course to avoid complications and ensure a successful operation.
Some surgeons will bill by the hour for their services, which can drive up the total price of liposuction procedures. This approach resembles how lawyers bill, though it isn’t as accurate. For example, some patients have thick back rolls of fat which take more time to treat than the chin region.
Other non-surgical ways can help boost liposuction results, such as skin tightening. Various forms of energy are available to tighten skin, such as BodyTite (radiofrequency energy) or SmartLipo (laser energy), which can heat and pull it, making your liposuction results even more dramatic.
2. Anesthesia
Liposuction, a popular cosmetic surgery option, permanently extracts fat cells from targeted body areas to achieve weight loss or obesity treatment. Patients should collaborate with their plastic surgeons to identify lifestyle habits that work alongside surgical procedures to get their desired results.
Liposuction requires general anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist to ensure your safety during the procedure. An anesthesiologist may use propofol to induce the anesthesia and then atracurium or vecuronium for muscle relaxation; furthermore, an IV can be administered with an anxiolytic sedative to help further relax you before your surgery begins.
Your surgeon will make small incisions to access the fatty tissue underneath your skin before liquefying or breaking up and suctioning all excess fatty tissue. After the procedure, dissolvable or non-dissolvable stitches may be placed over incision sites for closure.
Ask the surgeon who quotes your liposuction procedure for an itemized list of costs; this will allow you to avoid surprises and overpayment for surgery. Such prices could include fees for surgeons, anesthesia costs, operating room fees, pre-operative laboratory test fees, elastic compression garment charges, and any prescription medications or antibiotics needed post-procedure.
Loans or credit cards may also help cover the cost of surgery. Most plastic surgeons accept this option, and hospitals and independent clinics provide financing plans if you don’t have all your money upfront.
3. Hospital or Surgical Facility Fees
Many patients are often surprised to learn that their health insurance plan doesn’t cover liposuction surgery because it falls under cosmetic surgery and is not reconstructive. Cosmetic surgery aims to reshape typical body structures for aesthetic reasons, while reconstructive procedures must correct abnormalities caused by birth defects, developmental abnormalities, disease, injury, and trauma.
Liposuction facility fees are another factor that affects its costs, including operating room rental and staff costs required to perform surgery. While some surgeons utilize their surgical facility, others use outside ones; regardless, prices for both types can differ based on quality and reputation; one with comparable safety standards to a hospital will likely cost more than non-accredited options with less experienced staff.
Equipment used during liposuction will have an impact on its costs. For instance, if your surgeon uses a machine called a power-assisted liposuction device, it may cost more than using traditional manual devices due to being more specialized and needing extra upkeep and maintenance to remain fully functional.
General anesthesia will cost more, as an anesthesiologist must remain in the operating room throughout the procedure to monitor vital signs and ensure patient safety during and after the process.
Deliberate liposculpture of multiple areas at one session may significantly lower costs; performing liposuction on both the abdomen and inner thigh at once would likely be more cost-effective than conducting separate procedures for each one.
4. Prescription Medications
Liposuction can be an ideal treatment option for fat that remains stubborn and won’t go away through diet or exercise alone. But it is essential to remember that liposuction should not be seen as an “effective weight-loss solution.” For most patients, eliminating these trouble spots helps boost confidence and make life feel better overall.
Liposuction may be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on surgeon and patient preferences. While smaller areas (less than two body regions) may be suitable for local anesthesia alone, more significant parts might require IV sedation or general anesthesia to ensure complete comfort.
Liposuction costs depend heavily upon the type of anesthesia chosen since this will determine what other services you’ll have to pay for, such as anesthesia and hospital or surgical facility fees. With local anesthesia, you will receive tumescent fluid containing lidocaine and epinephrine-laced tumescent fluid to shrink blood vessels, decrease blood loss and make fat removal more manageable by your surgeon.
If you choose tumescent liposuction, you must understand that taking antibiotics before and following surgery to avoid infection will be essential. After surgery, allow drainage time of at least 36 hours; try not to take tub baths or use pools.
As liposuction is an elective cosmetic procedure, most insurance policies don’t cover it. Many plastic surgeons offer financing solutions; to find out more details and requirements of any plans available, talk to your surgeon directly.
5. Post-Operative Care
Liposuction is generally safe when performed by a certified plastic surgeon; however, you should understand its associated risks before having this procedure performed on yourself. These may include skin numbness, blood loss, infection, and changes in sensation in touch.
Liposuction poses several potential risks, with its thin tube used for suctioning fat out posing a life-threatening medical emergency. Another risk associated with liposuction is fat embolism – pieces of removed fat break off and become trapped in blood vessels before traveling through them toward the lungs or brain, potentially necessitating surgery and hospitalization to resolve.
If dieting and exercise have failed to reduce specific areas of your body, liposuction may be an ideal way to help them. But keep in mind this procedure should not be seen as a weight-loss solution, nor as a replacement for healthy eating and exercise habits; many find that if they gain weight after liposuction treatments have taken place, treated areas often grow more significant due to re-accumulation of fat cells in these treated areas.
Liposuction costs depend on various factors, and it is wise to research before undergoing this procedure. When making this decision, fully comprehend all associated expenses that could impact your budget.
Most surgeons and hospitals will provide patients with an in-depth breakdown of the costs associated with liposuction surgery to help them plan their finances appropriately and prepare for it. Some providers even offer financing plans to spread out payments over an extended period – these options typically apply only if specific credit and income criteria have been fulfilled.
