Obtaining financial information is one of the most important considerations for most people when considering elective plastic surgery. Since medical insurance does not cover any plastic surgery procedure that is deemed cosmetic (not improving a medical function), all patients need to have a full understanding of the costs of the desired plastic surgery operation(s). But getting a reasonably accurate cost of surgery without an in-person plastic surgery consultation is virtually impossible. Many cost ranges exist on numerous websites, including those of plastic surgeons, but these are always given in ranges extending over thousands of dollars in difference because they must cover the wide variability of patient’s problems.
The price of plastic surgery is influenced by many factors. The biggest component of any plastic surgery fee is that of the doctor’s time to do the procedure. Cosmetic surgery fees are not like medical insurance, there are no usual and customary fees and plastic surgeons are completely free to charge whatever they think is appropriate for their practice.One significant variable that affects fees is that of the plastic surgeon’s expertise and experience. While high fees do not guarantee a better result, be careful when you see or are given a price that is a bargain. The most highly experienced plastic surgeons who have great expertise do not have bargain basement fees. Be careful of saving costs at the expense of by cutting corners with expertise and reputation of a surgeon.
Like medically covered procedures, the geographical location of the plastic surgeon affects price. Fees are higher on the coasts and large metropolitan areas in between them. This can work to your advantage if you are willing to travel for your procedure. There are disadvantages in doing so in terms of follow ups, potential complication management etc, but medical tourism today is not just limited to leaving the nation’s borders.
The other component of the price of plastic surgery is the use of an operating room and an anesthesiologist. While they will almost always make up collectively less than the plastic surgeon’s fee, they can easily account for a third or more of the total costs. Some fees that are given may only include the surgeon’s fee which is why they may seem low or different than other surgeon’s fees. Look carefully for any asterisk next to the fee or at the bottom of the page. That is a sure sign that it will say…’operating room and anesthesia costs are additional.’
While there is no substitute for an actual face-to-face consultation with a plastic surgeon who can give their exact price afterwards, it is possible to get a pretty good cost prediction doing internet research alone. By submitting information (procedures of interest and goals) and a few pictures to my website, www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com, a cost estimate for the procedures(s) will be provided. Because cosmetic plastic surgery is completely external and thus very visible, a good photographic review of the patient’s face or body concerns can allow for such cost of surgery estimates to be done.
While not everything in life is or should be available at the click of a mouse, getting the cost of plastic surgery can be. This is extremely useful information as it can help separate a wish from a reality early in the plastic surgery research process.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana