Tummy Tuck is one of my favorite cosmetic surgeries to perform. One of the first questions people have when deciding if a tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) is the right surgery for them is “How much does Tummy Tuck surgery cost?”
The Quick Answer…
Tummy Tuck surgery prices can vary widely, depending on how much extra skin and tissue there is to remove. The price can be anywhere from $9000 to over $12000.
The More in Depth Answer…
That’s a pretty wide range, but there are a lot of factors involved.
Generally, the first cost is the cosmetic surgery consult fee. Surgical consultations can be scheduled with a $200 deposit and non-surgical consults can be scheduled with a $100 fee, which will become a credit at the practice toward any of our skincare products, facials, laser treatments, injectables, or surgical procedures. The fee is usually not a reflection of ability or quality, rather a reflection of the physician’s means of mitigating being stood up by no-show patients.
Next, a surgical deposit is usually required to reserve the date of your surgery. My fee is $500. Some surgeons make this a percentage of the total cost of surgery. As the surgery date gets closer, less money is refunded if the surgery is cancelled.
About one or two weeks before your surgery, you will be required to pay a balance of $9000 to 12,000.
So where does the price difference come from?
The amount of surgery required to give you the result you want is what determines the price. There are four separate components to the price – surgeon’s fee, operating room time, cost of anesthesia, and costs for items needed after surgery. Some surgeons list these costs separately in their quotes, and some do not.
First is the surgeon’s fee, which covers the surgery and all appointments in the recovery period. The fee varies based on the amount of extra skin and tissue to be removed and how much time the surgery will take.
For example, if you have only a small amount of extra skin and fat below the belly button, skin removal can be done under mainly local anesthesia. With this skin only version of a “mini tummy tuck”, there’s a shorter incision, the muscles are not tightened, and there’s no separate incision around the belly button. The procedure is less expensive because it’s faster than a full tummy tuck, and it can sometimes be done without anesthesia.
When there is extra skin above the belly button or there is looseness of the stomach muscles, then the procedure is more extensive. Because of increased time in the operating room, the need for anesthesia, and increased work involved, the costs go up. The price can range anywhere from $5500 (for a mini tummy tuck) to over $12,000 for an extended tummy tuck. You may have additional costs if further surgery is required or if you are admitted to the hospital with complications.
The second component of the price is the operating facility.
You can choose to have your surgery in a hospital, in an outpatient surgery center, or in a private office OR. All are safe when they are accredited, but the prices vary from $1000 to $3500 an hour and are generally more expensive at hospitals.
The next cost is the cost of anesthesia.
In Florida, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists or Physician Anesthesiologists are able to provide anesthesia. They charge an hourly rate from around $1000 to over $1300 per hour, based on their training and experience. Many surgery centers and hospitals have one set price for anesthesia because several providers are involved before, during, and right after surgery in the recovery room.
The last few items are optional costs that yield the best tummy tuck result possible. Surgical garments range from $90 to $450 and are important to minimize swelling and prevent complications.
- Antibiotics and pain medications range from $30 to $80 depending on insurance and the types of medications used.
- Arnica (a supplement to reduce bruising and swelling) costs from $25 to $45.
Some places advertise prices that are much cheaper than others. They may be leaving out one of the components or any of the extra recovery items needed for the best result possible. Everything in this world is a give and take of price, quality, and service. There are ways to safely minimize costs, but looking for the least expensive surgery sometimes means you sacrifice safety and a good result. I hope this has helped shed some light on the question “what is the price of tummy tuck surgery?”