Tummy Tuck and Hysterectomy

Women facing a hysterectomy are often heard joking with their surgeons about performing a tummy tuck or liposuction during the procedure. While they may be saying this in jest, it is not necessarily a bad choice. In fact, by combining the two procedures, many women save money, but it does take a little extra planning to make it work.

The reason you would stand to save some money by combining your cosmetic surgery with your medically necessary hysterectomy is the fact that your insurance will not pay for the cosmetic procedure, but likely will pay for the hysterectomy. By combining the two on one surgery day, you may not have to pay for the anesthesia and hospital recovery time that you would normally pay for after a tummy tuck, since these are considered necessary for the hysterectomy, and therefore are covered under insurance.

Another benefit of combining the two procedures is the fact that you will only have to go through recovery once. Since you are already opening up your abdominal area for the hysterectomy, adding the cosmetic procedure will not lengthen your recovery period. It will take the same amount of time to recover, yet you will be taking care of two problems at once. This means less time off of work or away from your normal family responsibilities.

If you decide to have a tummy tuck while also having a hysterectomy, start by talking to the surgeon who will perform the hysterectomy. Find out if he or she has a plastic surgeon to recommend. You may find that many women choose to combine the two procedures, so your surgeon may already have someone in mind. 

After making sure that it is acceptable for your medical surgeon to have the combined procedure, contact the plastic surgeon. You will need to coordinate the hospital and surgery time with both doctors to ensure that they are both open on the surgery date. Have a contingency plan in place in case one of the surgeons is called away for an emergency procedure. 

You will need to arrange for payment of the tummy tuck portion of the surgery prior to your surgery date. Some plastic surgeons offer financing through their offices. Start by asking about this, and use it if it is available. If there is no financing available through the doctor, consider going to the bank for a loan. Home equity loans give you a low interest source of money if you own your own home. The cost for the procedure will likely be around $5,000, so plan accordingly, and check with your plastic surgeon to find out the exact amount before you arrange financing.

Keep in mind that you will have a swollen belly area after a hysterectomy, and this may be even more pronounced if you combine the surgeries. Do not assume that your procedure was not effective because of this. To minimize this swelling, use ice packs on the abdominal area, but always give yourself several months to heal before evaluating the result of your tummy tuck.