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Last updated: October 23, 2026
According to the latest statistics cited on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' website, the average liposuction cost is $4,711, an average surgeon's fee that is only part of the total price[1]. That figure does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses[1]. The society advises consulting your plastic surgeon's office to determine your final fee[1].
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons gives the average cost of liposuction as $4,711, according to the society's latest statistics[1]. The society's page describes this figure as an average surgeon's fee that is only part of the total price[1].
An economic analysis of cosmetic surgery prices noted that national averages provide a starting point for price determination but may not reflect specific economic factors[2]. That analysis compared prices published by practices with national averages from The Aesthetic Society's national databank statistics[2].
In that analysis of 66 practices that publicly reported cosmetic surgery prices, publicly reported prices were significantly higher than national averages for all surgical procedures except nipple procedures, excision of excess skin, fat grafting, fat harvest and lip enhancement[2]. The authors concluded that publicly reported prices provide greater insight than national averages into specific pricing factors[2].
Ask each surgeon you consult for a written quote that lists every fee.
The average surgeon's fee does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons[1].
In the analysis of 66 practices, facility or operating room fees (38 practices) and anesthesia fees (34 practices) were the most common components included in a price, after surgeons' fees (66 practices)[2].
Ask each surgeon's office whether its quote includes the facility fee and the anesthesia fee.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists anesthesia fees, hospital or surgical facility costs, medical tests and x-rays, post-surgery garments, prescriptions for medication and the surgeon's fee as costs that liposuction may include[1].
Questions to ask the surgeon's office about each item:
For what the recovery period involves, see our page on post-op recovery.
Prices for liposuction procedures can vary, and a surgeon's cost may be based on his or her experience, the type of procedure used and geographic office location, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons[1].
The economic analysis of 66 practices looked at regional prices, practice type and surgeon accreditation as possible influences on price[2]. When practices were separated by region, the price difference was significant for all procedures except breast augmentation (P = .074) and liposuction (P = .088)[2].
On location, the society names geographic office location as a factor in a surgeon's cost, while the price analysis found no significant regional price difference for liposuction (P = .088)[1][2].
When choosing a plastic surgeon for liposuction, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says the surgeon's experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery[1].
Ask the surgeon to explain how the quote was calculated. For more on this, see our FAQ on choosing a surgeon.
Most health insurance plans do not cover liposuction or its complications, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons[1].
The same society notes that many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans, and it suggests asking about them[1].
Ask the surgeon's office whether financing is offered and what the full repayment would cost. Ask, too, who would pay for further treatment if a complication occurred.
In a survey of 484 adults living in the United States, participants named the price of surgery internationally as a top advantage of traveling outside the US for surgery, and the risk of complications as the top disadvantage[3].
In that survey, 45.2% of participants would consider having plastic surgery, and among these participants, 67.1% would consider traveling outside of the US to receive cosmetic surgery[3]. The top advantages they reported were the price of surgery internationally, a shorter waiting list for surgery and privacy during recovery[3].
The top disadvantages reported in the same survey were the risk of complications, lack of follow-up or continuity of care after surgery, and distance from home[3]. The perceived safety of receiving plastic surgery abroad was not related to willingness to consider having surgery abroad (P = .268)[3].
A London hospital study described lower costs and all-inclusive cosmetic surgery holiday packages as having led more patients to seek cheaper aesthetic surgery abroad[4]. In a Northern Ireland series of six patients admitted after surgery abroad, the reasons included cost and access to procedures not recommended by a UK surgeon[5].
At a health system that reviewed patients aged 18 or older seen by plastic surgery within one year of destination surgery between January 11, 2015 and January 7, 2022, 41 patients met the inclusion criteria[6]. The most common procedures in that group included abdominoplasty, liposuction, breast augmentation and "Brazilian butt lift," and the most common complications were seroma and infection[6].
In a hospital series of 109 patients with complications of cosmetic surgery abroad treated between 2010 and 2014, the main complications were infections (25.7%), wound breakdown (19.3%) and pain or discomfort (14.7%)[7]. In that series, 63.3% of patients were treated conservatively and 34.8% became inpatients, with a mean hospital stay of 5.2 ± 3.8 days[7].
At the Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit in Scotland, 81 patients presented with complications of cosmetic surgery tourism between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023[8]. The most common presenting complaints in that unit were wound dehiscence (49.4%) and wound infection (24.7%)[8].
At a London teaching hospital, 24 patients were surgically managed for complications of cosmetic surgery abroad between 2006 and 2018[4]. In that group, infection (92%) was the primary complication, and 21 patients were inpatients with a mean length of stay of 8 days (range, 1-49 days)[4].
In the Northern Ireland series of six patients, all patients required an inpatient stay and 67% required surgery on the NHS[5]. Two patients in that series were investigated for pulmonary embolus, and the authors highlighted the risks associated with traveling in the perioperative period[5].
After any operation, at home or abroad, contact your surgeon or emergency services right away about chest pain, shortness of breath, fever or a wound that opens. For a wider view, see our overview of liposuction safety and complications.
In a review of 16 patients treated at one institution for complications of cosmetic surgery tourism, the authors reported a substantial discrepancy between the money saved by undergoing surgery abroad and the costs of treating the complications[9]. The mean cost per patient in that series was $26,657.19, ranging from $392 for a single outpatient visit to $154,700.79 for a prolonged admission and surgery[9].
In that same series of 16 patients, the greatest amount paid by any single patient was $2635.00, by a patient with private insurance[9]. Overall in that series, the hospital retained 63% of billed charges, while physicians retained only 9%[9].
For the 41 patients seen after destination surgery at one health system, the total financial burden was $523,272[6]. Hospitalization was deemed necessary in 28 of those patients and unnecessary in 13[6].
At the London teaching hospital, the total cost to the hospital for 24 patients was $406,233[4]. Complications from abdominoplasty resulted in the highest cost per patient in that series, at $20,404[4].
In Scotland, the total cost to NHS Scotland for the 81 patients was £755,559.68, an average of £9327.90 per patient[8]. At a trauma centre in Birmingham, UK, 26 patients presented between 2015 and 2020, and the total cost to the NHS was £152,946, an average of £5,882.54 per patient (range £362-£26,585)[10].
In the Birmingham series, all 26 patients were female, a total of 32 cosmetic procedures had been undertaken, and the majority were performed in Turkey (n = 14)[10]. In the Northern Ireland series of six patients, the total cost was £23,976.82, an average of £4000 per patient (range, £1294-£6291)[5].
In the series of 109 patients treated between 2010 and 2014, overall reimbursement premiums based on Diagnose Related Groups approximately covered the total costs[7].
If you are weighing surgery in another country, ask who will provide follow-up care once you are home. See also our page on long-distance liposuction consultation.
Bring these questions to a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon:
According to the latest statistics cited on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' website, the average surgeon's fee for liposuction is $4,711[1]. That fee does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses[1].
Most health insurance plans do not cover liposuction or its complications, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons[1]. Many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans[1].
A surgeon's cost may be based on his or her experience, the type of procedure used and geographic office location[1]. Ask each surgeon for a written quote that lists every fee.
At one plastic surgery unit in Scotland, 81 patients presented with complications of cosmetic surgery tourism over five years, at a total cost to NHS Scotland of £755,559.68[8]. The average was £9327.90 per patient[8].