Everyone wants to know how much things cost, and they should. But what is the total cost when someone gets plastic surgery? First, there is the surgeon’s charge. This is the cost that most people first identify with since it is the most personal. After all, you establish a relationship with your surgeon and can attach a price to a face. The surgeon’s charge should reflect his/her expertise in the procedure. In general the more experience and expertise, the higher the charge may be. However even Plastic surgeons have to operate in the real world economy so it is not surprising that even plastic surgery costs are affected by the economic laws of supply and demand. So at different times there may be different prices even for the same procedure. Next there is the facility charge. This is the cost for the operating room, recovery room, and supplies. Facilities may vary a bit whether or not they are in the doctor’s office, free standing facility or hospital. Be careful where you choose to have your surgery and make sure that the facility is fully accredited, meaning that it passes certain safety tests. Some “supplies” are not included and are charges for “a la carte”. These may include implants (breast, chin, cheek, etc.), lasers, injectable fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm, and garments. Be careful when comparing costs from different offices because some doctors will charge less for their surgical fee, but make up the difference by charging more for these other supplies. Finally there is the anesthesia fee. This is the cost that pays the anesthesia person to provide your anesthesia. No matter what type of anesthesia you need, whether general of IV sedation, you want to be sure that it is done by qualified, well trained specialists, not by the surgeon.
But the above are the obvious hard costs of plastic surgery. There are other costs that are much more difficult to put a price on but should also be considered. This has to do with the overall experience. Is your plastic surgeon kind, honest and approachable? Do you feel that he/she takes the time to listen to your concerns? Will you see him/her after surgery or will you be left being taken care of just by the nurses or assistants? Is the office convenient and personal? Is the office staff kind and attentive? What is the recovery like? How long will you be out of commission? How well are you prepared for the recovery by your surgeon? These and many other issues don’t really have a set price but clearly have worth. So no matter whether it’s the cost for breast augmentation, tummy tuck or facelift, all of the above should be taken into consideration. In essence what is the value that you will receive when you pay for your surgery. Keep this in mind when “shopping” for your plastic surgery. And remember the saying “you get what you pay for”. Do you really want to pick your surgeon because they give you the cheapest price? Also remember that if it’s “too good to be true” – it usually isn’t.
