the Price of Cosmetic Surgery

The price quoted includes bilateral breast augmentation, bilateral benelli breast lift (mastopexy) with areola reduction, silicone breast implants, suction assisted lipectomy (liposuction) of the inner and outer thighs, surgeon's fees, anesthesiologist fees, hospital operating room fees, all pre-up and post-op cosmetic surgeon's office visits, compression garment for post-liposuction, and post-operative surgical bra. Patients do receive a discount for bundling several procedures together. You also save money on hospital operating room expenses and anesthesiologist charges by having multiple procedures performed at a single time. The anesthesiologist charges for the amount of time you will be under anesthesia. Mine charged in 30 minute increments, $325 per half hour. If your surgery is shorter than expected you will get a refund. You must pre-pay everything for cosmetic surgery. You can pay cash or check, use a credit card, or if you can not use either of those options you can secure a loan. This is best done on your own through your bank as you will get a better interest rate. Cosmetic surgeons' billing offices will have brochures for loan companies that specialize in cosmetic surgery loans but the interest rates are always exorbitantly high, so use this option only as a last resort.

I had a little bit of sticker shock when I heard the total price for all of my procedures. It is actually very reasonable for the number of procedures I had done and I knew the individual costs, but it sounded like a lot when you added it all together. However, it was well worth it. Results are generally good and patient satisfaction high for cosmetic surgery procedures if you have a skilled, experienced surgeon. First, I went to a consultation. The cosmetic surgeon and I discussed the procedures I would be interested in, I tried on various sizes of breast implants, and he gave me his suggestions and detailed what I should expect before and after surgery. The day of the surgery, the surgeon marked me for the procedure and I went to the hospital. My procedure lasted 3 hours, then I stayed in the recovery room for another 2 hours and went home. The next week I was in quite a bit of pain, with a lot of swelling and bruising. However, the end results are great and well worth the expense and pain. I had my first post-op visit at 3 days after surgery, then several at one or two week intervals until the 9 week point. Then I go back in 3, 6, and 12 months to check my progress. The surgeon was very skilled and thorough. I am very happy with the quality of care at the hospital and the results of the surgery. My only wish is my doctor spent more time with me at post-op appointments, he is often rushed. If you have questions, make sure you assert yourself and don't let them rush you.

The most important tip is to research your cosmetic surgeon well. Skill and experience are so important in plastic surgery and you should go to a surgeon that you trust completely and feel comfortable with, and confident that he understands and shares your goals. Get a referral from a friend if possible or research surgeons online, then go to at least three consults. You can then compare the surgeons, their philosophies, and their prices. Be sure to follow all of your surgeon's instructions before and after surgery to prevent complications and maximize the quality of your results. Try to have realistic expectations. Often your result depends mainly on what you look like before. For example, with breast augmentation it is difficult to drastically change the shape of your breast. Basically you will have a bigger version of what you had before. Try on different sizes of breast implants to decide on the size. Wear them with your clothes on a daily basis to get used to the feel of them. I wish I had worn the sizers more because they seem huge when you first put them in but you quickly get used to it. I wish I had gotten bigger implants and might have felt more comfortable doing so if I had worn the sizers more. It is a must to have someone help you for the several days following your surgery as you will have difficulty moving around. Expect to take at least one week, preferably two, off work. Mostly relax and enjoy your new look!