FAQ – Cost of Liposuction

1. How much does liposuction cost?
The fee for liposuction usually depends on how many areas are treated by liposuction. When only one area is treated by liposuction the fee is less than when multiple areas are treated. As a rough estimate, the fees for liposuction may vary from $2000 to $8000 for liposuction accomplished on a single day, to as much as $12,000 to $20,000 or more when multiple areas are treated on separate occasions over a period of several months. The cost of liposuction can vary from community to community, and from surgeon to surgeon. To get an accurate estimate, it is necessary to have a consultation with a surgeon and to receive a written quote of the expected fees.

2. How are the surgical fees for liposuction determined?
Some surgeons charge a single global fee, for liposuction accomplished on a single day, by bundling all of the expenses into a single total fee. This is most often the case when liposuction is done in an office-based surgical facility. Other surgeons might require that separate fees be paid for the surgeon, for the anesthesiologist, and for the surgical facility. The fee for liposuction of a single area such as the abdomen, or the outer thighs (the two outer thighs are considered as one area) or female breast reduction by liposuction can range from $2000 to $7000 or more. The fee typically depends on the amount of time and effort required to accomplish the surgery. Often one large area is all that can be safely accomplished on a single day. If the patient has several areas of concern which are not too large, then liposuction of more than one area can often be accomplished on the same day. The fee charged for liposuction of a second or a third area might be less than the fee for a single area, and may range between $1200 to $4000, or more.

3. Should I Base My Decision on the Cost of Liposuction?
Decisions about liposuction should not be based solely on the cost of liposuction. The cheapest procedure might mean that the surgeon does the procedure quickly and incompletely. Liposuction is a hand-crafted art form. Would you base a decision to buy a painting on its price or on the aesthetic judgment and skill of the artist? It is more reasonable to base your decision about liposuction on the surgeon’s reputation, the surgeon’s apparent skill, the surgeon’s experience and the surgeon&’s ability to communicate with you in a manner that is professional, sincere, comfortable, and unhurried. Five years after your liposuction, you will probably not remember the exact amount you paid for the surgery, but you will aware of the quality of the results for the rest of your life. The most common source of disappointment following liposuction is dissatisfaction with the degree of improvement (“it looks as if nothing was done”) or unhappiness with uneven lumpy-bumpy results. The liposuction cost should not be the main basis for your choice of surgeon. Do not put your body on the bargain rack.

4. Is Liposuction Covered by Health Insurance?
Usually liposuction is not covered by health insurance. Because liposuction is a cosmetic surgical procedure it is not covered by medical insurance unless it has some therapeutic benefit. Female breast reduction surgery is often covered by insurance because surgical breast reduction often relieves chronic pain of the back and shoulders. When female breast reduction is accomplished by tumescent liposuction, insurance may reimburse the patient a portion of the liposuction surgical fees. Similarly, sometimes health insurance will cover liposuction for the treatment of subcutaneous lipomas (small fatty tumors just beneath the skin).

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