Cost of Plastic Surgery

The cost of plastic surgery in the United States from accredited hospitals is surprisingly similar from state to state. There are a few exceptions -- areas of the country like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York City that are particularly "glamorous" tend to charge more than the rest of the country. Outside of these areas, you can expect to pay a fairly uniform rate. Here is a list of popular plastic surgery procedures and the rate you can expect to pay as of this writing. This information comes from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and while your specific surgery fee may be a bit higher or lower than these numbers, these are good ballpark figures you can use to get an idea of how much you'll spend. The variations in price represent differences in doctor's charges, amounts of medical supplies needed, extent of surgery needs, etc.

Why Does Plastic Surgery Cost So Much?

Any surgeries that is normally paid for in full by the patient (think of most plastic surgeries and weight loss surgery) are usually offered at some kind of flat rate. These "all inclusive" surgery costs are not as common as you may think -- in fact, that flat rate for your plastic surgery may not include items such as pre-surgery testing, any atypical recovery issues that require longer hospital stays, or even medications used during the surgery.

Plastic surgery's costs represent a difference between the surgical fees normally billed by the hospital where the surgery takes place and the cost that is actually paid out by a person's insurance. In layman's terms -- if you have any surgery without insurance, you can expect to pay a hefty fee like those associated with plastic surgery.

The reason? Insurers often work out discounts with the hospital ahead of time. This is one of the main reasons why pre-approval for surgeries is so important when working with insurance. If you plan to pay for any surgery, plastic or otherwise, out of your own pocket, it would be good for you to ask for the rate that insurance companies pay. You may not get very far with your plastic surgeon this way, but you never know.

As a patient of a plastic surgeon, you are also entitled to an itemized bill listing each item and its cost as well as a bottom line cost.

Plastic Surgery Fees

Many surgeries including plastic surgeries require an entire team of trained professionals. There are plastic surgeries that require the presence of multiple surgeons, and don't forget that any surgery is going to require the service of an anesthesiologist. They don't come cheap.

As the plastic surgery procedure gets more complicated, you may see an entire team of surgeons working together. Each surgeon in the operating room will submit a separate bill for their services.

Now you see why the cost of plastic surgery is what it is?

But it gets worse -- besides surgeons, there are at least two staff members in the operating room during the procedure. One is known as a circulating nurse -- this nurse's job is to chart everything that happens during the procedure. A surgical technologist (ST or Surg Tech) is the member of the staff responsible for providing the surgeon instruments used during the surgery. Luckily, the fee for this staff's services is usually included in the operating room fee -- but check beforehand. You don't want to get stuck with a huge bill after you think you've already paid for the surgery.

The Cost of Surgical Implants

If your plastic surgery involves the use of an implant (breast, artificial hip, etc) there will be an additional fee for this device.

The price of these implants varies a great deal, but remember that these devices are built to last a lifetime, and require lots of back-end research and hospital testing before they are FDA approved.

The Cost of Surgical Medications

We're not talking about your post-plastic surgery painkillers -- those you pay for yourself -- but during plastic surgery there are many medications that are used. These are usually not part of the flat rate fee, especially if you require emergency medicine, extra anaesthesia, or an antibiotic during the procedure. IV fluids count as well, and these medications can really add up. Talk to your surgeon beforehand about the use of medications during surgery and what they may cost.

The Botax

The cost of plastic surgery is set to increase dramatically if the so called "Botax" takes effect. The "Botax" is a suggested five percent tax increase on many plastic surgeries. This tax is part of the 1 trillion dollar health care plan recently passed by the House of Representatives and currently up for debate in the Senate. The Botax is part of the "payment plan" for President Obama's health care reform bill. Anytime you have a huge expenditure like the health care plan, the government needs to find a way to pay for it. One suggestion? Increase tax on "elective" plastic surgery procedures by five percent.

The problem with this plan? Many plastic surgeons say the language is not specific enough. To tax only truly elective procedures (breast augmentation, permanent makeup, tattoo removal, etc) wouldn't be such a big deal, but many surgeons are afraid that this tax would end up increasing prices across the board, making plastic surgeries for women with breast cancer concerns even more expensive. This "Botax" is seen as discriminatory toward women and a further tax burden on the middle class.

The cost of plastic surgery is not usually something that stands in the way of most people's decision to get a plastic procedure done. Understanding what costs may pop up after the surgery may better prepare you for the shock of opening a post-surgery bill. Communicate with your surgeon and the hospital staff ahead of time so you're not surprised at your bill.