Analyzing the Components of Plastic Surgery Cost

Plastic surgery is not inexpensive, and given the current economy many patients are eager to rejuvenate their bodies, but not as ready to part with their hard-earned money. It’s imperative, however, that you don’t sacrifice your safety or overlook the importance of a plastic surgeon’s experience just to take advantage of a good deal. Explaining the most common components of plastic surgery costs enables patients to make the most educated decision possible when selecting a surgeon and cosmetic surgery procedure.

Doctor’s Fees: This value includes compensation for the times spent by the doctor performing the procedure (fluctuates based on the surgeon’s experience) as well as the complexity of the procedure being completed. For instance, breast augmentation in a healthy individual who has not previously undergone the procedure is typically less complex than breast augmentation for someone undergoing breast revision surgery because of a complication like breast implant rupture or capsular contracture where scar tissue has formed around the original implant that must be removed.

Surgical Suite/ Hospital Fees: Operating privileges at an accredited hospital are the mark of a reputable plastic surgeon as most hospitals only grant these permissions to certified professionals with an established record of surgical experience and knowledge of safety standards. To use these facilities, however, surgeons are required to pay to cover the cost of the hospital’s insurance and surgical supplies. While not incredibly common, there are also surgeons certified to perform plastic surgery in-office. It’s important to remember that, while convenient, not all cosmetic procedures are safe to be completed in-office. These are typically the procedures that require general anesthesia such as breast augmentation.

Anesthesiologist Fees: Like doctors’ fees, this value compensates the anesthesiologist for their time as well as their materials and insurance. This value is also greatly affected by the complexity of the procedure being performed and the time spent under anesthesia.

Post-Operative Care: A large part of obtaining favorable surgery results is adhering to the proper aftercare instructions, that is, measures to limit the amount of post-operative complications, bleeding, and swelling. For procedures like liposuction or abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), this can mean the presence of surgical drains to eliminate excess fluid as well as wearing compression garment(s) to limit swelling and pain. The cost of these materials will vary depending on the procedure type, but is typically included as part of the overall procedure cost.

Just like the individual procedures recommended, the cost of plastic surgery is highly dependent upon the patient’s individual situation and surgical requirements. Your plastic surgeon should be able to formulate an individualized estimate for the cost of plastic surgery after meeting with you for a plastic surgery consultation and learning about your cosmetic concerns.

John L LeRoy Jr, M.D. is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. LeRoy is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is specialty trained in cosmetic surgery.

A formative step in his training was a prestigious one-year fellowship at the renowned Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York. There, Dr. LeRoy was trained by the world’s leading plastic surgeons in the latest cosmetic surgery techniques.