Dr. Lane Smith is a board certified plastic surgeon providing safe, proven,
and effective cosmetic and reconstructive surgery procedures. He heads
the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute in Las Vegas, NV, which is equipped
to provide state of the art treatments for a variety of procedures, includingbreast
augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, rhinoplasty, labiaplasty, and liposuction.
Procedure Costs
The cost of a procedure performed by a cosmetic surgeon will depend on several factors. With the increasing accessibility of treatment for various cosmetic surgery procedures such as liposuction, the costs have also become more uniform and rational. However, various cost inputs still vary from one procedure to another, which will impact the costs. Patients should evaluate the cost of a procedure in comparison to the quality of treatment and services received. That is the best way to assess the cost-effectiveness and achieve the best possible results within their budget.
Procedures such as breast implants, tummy tuck, breast lift, rhinoplasty, labiaplasty, liposuction, and others have different requirements, which makes them cost differently. The skills required to perform each procedure, the time taken during the procedure, the extent of surgery involved, and the medical equipment, devices and technologies involved will impact the cost of a procedure. Some specialized procedures may not be performed by most plastic surgeons, which may make them more expensive because only a few surgeons are available to perform them.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Liposuction
The following factors usually influence the cost of a procedure such as liposuction:
- Geographical Location: The location of the practice can make a difference to the cost of liposuction. The cost of living index typically varies from one city to another and from one state to Las Vegas, NV may be different simply because the general cost trends prevailing in both places may be different.
- Skill of the Cosmetic Surgeon: Skills, experience, and reputation liposuction. Surgeon’s fee is an important component of the entire cost. Surgeons who are more in demand because of their impressive track record of success in a particular procedure may charge a higher fee to perform the procedure.
- Quality, Service and Facilities:The quality of treatment offered, the type of techniques and technologies used to perform liposuction, the quality of support staff and general amenities provided to a patient, the operating room standards are some of the key factors that will impact the cost of liposuction.
- Choice of Technique: Liposuction surgery may be performed as a traditional surgery or it may be assisted by laser technique. Laser assisted liposuction is more conservative as well as effective, but it may cost more due to the additional laser treatment and technology involved.
Average Cost of Liposuction
Liposuction procedure, just like any other plastic surgery procedure such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, rhinoplasty, or labiaplasty, must be performed only by a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon. The cost of liposuction will vary, depending on the extent of procedure to be performed. For instance, a patient with excessive fat deposits in various parts of the body such as waist, hips, thighs, breasts, arms, and neck may need extensive liposuction surgery.
In such case, the procedure may have to be spread over two days instead of a single operation, and may involve overnight stay at the facility. The costs of such a procedure will be different from a minor liposuction procedure performed to reduce excess fat pockets from the neck and face area. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons compiles the cost data for various plastic surgery procedures every year.
According to ASPS data for 2012, the average cost of liposuction on a national basis was $2,852. This is an indicative figure, which includes only the basic procedure costs. It does not cover the costs of anesthesia, medical tests, prescription medications, surgical garments, and any other related expenses.
Financing and Insurance
Under most circumstances, liposuction is performed as an elective cosmetic procedure. Therefore, most health insurance policies will not provide coverage for liposuction costs. It is important to note that any potential complications arising as a result of liposuction procedure may also not be covered by insurance. In this situation, for many patients, it becomes important to arrange financing. The staff of experienced plastic surgeons is usually trained and equipped to assist the patients with financing options.
With a financing option, the patient will receive a loan to pay for the procedure’s cost up front. The loan can be paid back later in installments. The interest cost should be considered while estimating the overall cost of liposuction with financing facility. The interest cost will depend on the credit score, credit history, size of loan, and length of loan sought for liposuction.
