subject: How Expensive Is Liposuction, Really? [print this page] Questions about the cost of liposuction are difficult to answer with generalizations. The cost of your liposuction will depend on a number of variables: the surgeon you pick, the method or technique that she uses, the number of areas treated, the amount of fat removed, and a host of other factors. Nonetheless, this article will address some of the general things that people can expect about liposuction pricing.
The total fee for a liposuction involves a number of different smaller bills. One has to pay the surgeon for his time and effort. An anesthesiologist must be paid for her time, as well as for the cost of anesthetic. One also has to pay for the use of the surgical facility where the liposuction is performed. Some doctors break up this bill and have patients pay it separately. Other simply charge the patients a single amount and then pay the others themselves.
Because of all of these variables, the cost of liposuction can change a lot. If you require additional sedation or choose that you would rather have general anesthesia than local, the bill from the anesthesiologist will probably be higher. Similarly, some surgical centers charge higher prices than others, and your bill will ultimately reflect that price.
A very rough estimate for the cost of liposuction might say that it would cost somewhere between $2000 and $8000 for a limited surgery performed on one day. This would be for one or two body areas. If you would like to have multiple body areas targetted, your price will go up, although the additional body areas generally cost less than the first one because you have already paid for anesthesia, a surgical facility, etc. Additional body areas take less time, and thus cost less money. A ballpark estimate of what a second body area might cost could be $1200 to $4000.
These costs will have to be paid out of pocket. Most insurance companies won't pay for liposuctions, with a couple of notable exceptions. If a woman has excessively large breasts that cause her severe back or shoulder pain, then some insurance companies will cover a breast reduction. Similarly, if you have fatty tumors called subcutaneous limpomas, insurance companies sometimes wil cover the expense of liposuction. If you suspect that you have either of these conditions, check with your insurance provider to see if they will cover it. Don't simply assume that they will, though.
Some companies provide financing for liposuction and other cosmetic surgeries, and this can be an option for people who don't have quite enough money. However, one should definitely be careful about going into significant debt for elective surgical procedures.
Although cost is frequently the first thing on our minds, it should certainly not be the overriding or even the main consideration when looking for a liposuction. When your body is on the table, you want to know that you're in the best hands, and the best surgeons aren't always the cheapest. Saving a few hundred bucks isn't worth having health complications or unpleasing results. Be sure that you investigate all aspects of a liposuction, and not just cost. If you find that you can only afford someone who is cheap but inexperienced, you may be best off waiting until you can afford a surgeon who can give you the results you really want.
