It seems like the tummy tuck has really increased in popularity over the last decade, and I am doing this procedure on patients with a wider variety of BMI. For the first 10 to 15 years I was in the practice of plastic surgery, I only saw a few patients who had a BMI over 30. But gradually, over the last 10 years, I have noticed that patients call me now and want a tummy tuck but have a BMI over 30 (sometimes over 35). And it is for this reason that the fees are adjusted to reflect the anatomy of the patient, and the increased time and complexity of the surgery with an increased BMI.
The Typical Cost for Ideal Tummy Tuck Candidates
The ideal candidate for a tummy tuck is a woman who has excess skin, usually with stretch marks, of the abdomen. She is also at a healthy goal weight or only 5 to 10 pounds above it. The ideal patient also has decided they are not having any more children. This patient who has had a C-section is an even better candidate since they already have a scar on the lower abdomen.
For these straightforward cases, the cost will be $8,000- $9,000, and this includes the muscle repair, of course.
Additional Costs for Combining Tummy Tuck With Liposuction
And from this, the complexity of the case increases for a patient who has the attributes mentioned above but also has a few extra pounds of excess weight they just cannot take off. When their BMI is closer to 30, they usually have excess fat around the flanks that requires liposuction. Doing lipo at the same time is recommended so that there is only one recuperation time needed, and also, the OR fees are less when time is added. So you save time and money.
The ballpark cost for this additional lipo is $3,500 as an add-on fee to the above tummy tuck total.
Costs for Tummy Tuck After Weight Loss
Now it gets even more complex from here when a patient has lost weight and has excess skin that needs to be removed in both the horizontal and vertical vectors. The name we use for this operation is the fleur-de-lis (which is the symbol of the New Orleans team to those of you who follow sports). The resulting scar includes a vertical component straight up the middle of the abdomen, and then it includes the traditional horizontal scar of the tummy tuck as well.
The ballpark for this operation is $11,000 to $12,000, again based on the BMI mostly.
There are some patients who have lost over 100 pounds, and these people may be able to get part of the operation covered by their insurance. This is then considered a hygiene operation to remove the flap of skin that hangs down and impedes proper hygiene. The insurance will cover the removal of the flap of skin, but to make it a cosmetic procedure and take off all the skin up to the bellybutton and tighten the muscles is not covered by the insurance. There is a process to add this to the case, with an additional fee that is paid for by the patient ranging from $3,000 to $4,000. If this looks like it would be beneficial, we will tell you and help guide you.
Getting Started
The entire team at Aesthetica is quite knowledgeable about the variety of patients and the procedures that would be most appropriate and give the best result. The first step is to call and talk to the team at (614) 569-2649 or reach out to us online. Our team will ask you to send pictures to start the process.
From there, I can “ see” where you are starting at and then schedule you for the appropriate informational seminar. These are orientation sessions that will go over the details; you will receive a personalized—or “Taylored,” if you will—quote going over all the aspects for your case.
From there, you can schedule surgery, which usually is three to four months out. This is not something you want to rush into; and do you really want a plastic surgeon who can fit you in next week? It is worth the wait to get the experience and expertise of the entire A team. The wait time also gives you an opportunity to prepare for your surgery. Be sure to read our related blog post to learn more about preparing for your pre-op visit and plastic surgery procedure.
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