Liposuction - How To Determine The Costs

With its ability to remove excess fat and resculpt the body, liposuction has quickly become one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures around. With this popularity and advancements in surgical technology, the surgery has also become more affordable and available to more people. However, there are still some misconceptions about the true cost of the surgery. In fact, few patients truly understand the factors that can affect the overall cost of the surgery.

One of the biggest factors in the cost of liposuction is surgeon's fees. This is the cost to retain the surgeon's services, which include the initial consultation, surgery, and any follow-up visits. When liposuction was first introduced to the general public, the cost of the surgery was so out of reach because of surgeon's fees. With very few doctors being qualified for the procedure, qualified surgeons were more in demand and therefore could asses a higher fee for their services. Today, the procedure is more widely available and mastery of the procedure can be achieved early in a surgeon's career. As a result, the average cost of liposuction has dropped dramatically. In fact, most patients can expect to pay between $2,000 and $4,000 for the procedure. The area of the fat removal is another big factor in the cost of the surgery. Certain areas, such as the chin and upper arms are more delicate, and might require more skill to avoid damage to vital tissues in the process. On the other hand, larger areas such as the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks might asses a larger fee because there is a fee for the disposal of the removed fat, and these areas tend to have a higher fat content.

Alternative procedures, such as laser or ultrasound liposuction tend to cost less than the traditional method. These alternatives are designed to be less invasive, in-patient procedures. Therefore, they do not require the use of hospital facilities or anesthesia, which can account for a large portion of the bill associated with the traditional method. Instead, laser liposuction uses a local anesthesia, which only numbs a specific part of the body and does not render the patient unconscious. Furthermore, the surgeon's fees are much lower, since many of these alternative methods take an hour or less.

Time off from work is one of the biggest indirect costs associated with liposuction. Since the traditional method requires a hospital stay and an recovery period, the costs can add up. It is important to keep this in mind, since many potential patients never consider the time it takes to recover from the surgery.