Tummy Tuck Cost
An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck procedure) can provide amazing transformative results: powerful enough to change both body and mind at times. Even so, there are understandable fears and concerns for many tummy tuck candidates prior to undergoing a tummy tuck including concerns of the final scar, the pain associated with recovery, and cost.
The cost of any plastic surgery procedure varies from surgeon to surgeon and across the country. Even so, in this blog post we will explore the average cost of the different types of tummy tuck procedures as well as what that cost consist of.
The average cost of a full tummy tuck in the United States ranges from 5,000 to 20,000. This is quite the range but it is fairly accurate. This cost usually includes anesthesia, operating room costs, and surgeons fees. The reasons for this vast difference in the average cost of a tummy tuck are many including:
1) Surgeon experience/training
2) Different work involved in the procedure
3) Different products/materials/medications used in the procedure
4) Area of the country
Surgeon experience/training
The above tummy tuck cost range is for board certified plastic surgeons. Among this group of surgeons there are plastic surgeons with additional training and experience that may increase the surgeons fees.
Different work involved in the procedure
Not all tummy tuck procedures are created equally. Liposuction, abdominal wall repair, umbilical hernia repair are all components of a tummy tuck procedure that may or may not be included in the cost of the tummy tuck. Another caveat is incision placement. The lower the incision is placed during a full tummy tuck the more work that needs to be done so this is sometimes a component of surgeons price difference.
Different products/materials/medications used in the procedure
The tummy tuck procedure can include a lot of different surgical technologies. Among these technologies or products are:
- -pain medication/pain pump placed during surgery
- -type of suture material used
- -type of liposuction performed
- -mesh or dermal matrix if hernias are repaired
- -dressings
- -aftercare
Area of the country
Different areas of the country have different cost. This is due to a number of factors including cost of doing business of that area, competition, and other local factors.
How do you know how much to pay for a tummy tuck?
This can be a challenging decision to make. I would encourage you to decide what is most important to you and remember that a tummy tuck procedure is a big surgery to go through with a fairly long recovery time, sizeable financial investment, and not that much room for error in terms of getting an excellent result. Because of this I would determine how much money you can invest in this process. Then, seek consultation with the best tummy tuck surgeons in your community. Look at the before and after photos they have, the surgeons reviews, and see if you connect with your surgeon. You may also want to speak with one or two of the plastic surgeons former patients to get a feel for how their surgical experience was.
An abdominoplasty (tummy tuck procedure) can be a life-transforming experience. Proper research and a careful decision making process can help you choose the right surgeon and right procedure for you.
All the best,
