It seems like every year, the cost of living increases. But unless you change jobs or get lucky when landing an employer, wages remain stagnant. At The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL, we offer affordable cosmetic procedures, so you don’t have to worry about questions like how much is a tummy tuck cost in 2020.
But just because you don’t have to worry about it doesn’t mean you can’t be curious. We understand that cost is a significant factor when deciding to pursue a procedure and who to choose as your service provider. That’s why, today, we’re talking about how much is a tummy tuck cost in 2020 and several other things you might be wondering.
How Much Is a Tummy Tuck in 2020?
One of the most common questions we get regarding tummy tuck cost is “how much is a tummy tuck cost.” Unfortunately, this is a really hard question to answer because there are so many factors that affect the price. We can’t tell you right now how much your tummy tuck will be. But for the sake of transparency, we can discuss some of the factors to give you a ballpark figure:
The Extent of the Procedure
Sometimes, all a tummy tuck involves is tightening the loose, sagging skin below your navel. But the scope of the procedure can be a lot greater depending on your needs. In fact, this procedure is so customizable that there are three different names for it: a full (traditional), mini, or extended tummy tuck.
A mini tummy tuck only addresses loose skin and excess skin and fat beneath your navel. On average, this procedure costs between four and five thousand dollars. A traditional tummy tuck may cost you between eight and 10 thousand dollars, and an extended tummy tuck can cost you up to $20,000.
The Volume of Fat Removed
When we say the extent of your procedure affects the cost, we’re talking about a few things. First, we’re talking about how many things are being done, such as fat removal, excess skin removal, skin tightening and lifting, muscle tightening, muscle reshaping, or muscle repairing.
The more services you have provided during your procedure, the more expensive your procedure will be. But you don’t just have to consider how many things are being done. You also have to consider how much work is being done. If we have to remove so much fat we are required to perform liposuction, for example, your procedure will cost more.
The Size of the Area
If we’re just tightening loose skin and removing fat from your lower abdomen, your procedure won’t cost very much. However, in the case of a full tummy tuck, the scope of the procedure includes both your lower and upper abdomen. Extended tummy tucks cost the most because they also cover the sides and back.
The Type of Anesthesia Used
The type of anesthesia and the dosage you receive are two other significant factors that will affect how much your procedure costs. The larger your required dosage is, the more expensive it will be. The appropriate dosage for your needs will depend on how long your procedure takes and how much you weigh.
Regarding the type of anesthesia, general anesthesia is usually more expensive than local anesthesia. This takes into account that local anesthesia is usually administered with a sedative so you can sleep through your procedure. General anesthesia may cost you between $425 and $1,800. Local anesthesia may cost you between $500 and $3,500.
The Number of Procedures Performed
Sometimes, lifting and tightening your stomach skin isn’t enough to achieve your ideal aesthetic. In such cases, you may be a good candidate for another procedure, such as liposuction. Liposuction is a fat removal procedure designed to contour an ideal body by removing excess fat via suction.
Lipo is an ideal complement to a tummy tuck because it can remove more excess fat than a tummy tuck can. As a standalone procedure, liposuction usually costs around $3,500. However, if you combine liposuction with your tummy tuck, you can save money on both procedures. Other factors that can change the cost of liposuction include the technique used and the number of areas sculpted.
Where Liposuction Can Be Performed
Liposuction can be performed virtually anywhere. It is usually used to remove excess fat from larger regions of the body, such as the back, upper or lower abdomen, sides, hips, buttocks, or chest. However, due to incredible advances in tools and techniques, it can be used to sculpt smaller parts of the body, such as the thighs, underarms, knees, chin, or neck.
Your Health Insurance
Most people think of a tummy tuck as a cosmetic procedure. In some cases, that’s accurate. But other times, a tummy tuck is considered a medical procedure. In such cases, your health insurance provider may cover the cost of your procedure and all associated fees and medications.
You may pay nothing out of pocket for your procedure. Or, if you’re having your procedure early in the year, you may pay your deductible and a small copay for your prescription antibiotics and analgesics. If your health insurance provider requires you to pay upfront and be reimbursed, apply for a CareCredit credit card so you don’t have to pay anything upfront.
How Is a Tummy Tuck Considered a Medical Procedure?
There are several ways a tummy tuck could be considered a medical procedure. However, it is important to note that it’s usually full tummy tucks that are considered a medical necessity rather than mini tummy tucks. Among the potential medical benefits of a full tummy tuck are facilitated weight loss, improvement of stress urinary incontinence, repair for ventral hernias, and less back pain.
Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance
Your health insurance provider may come to the conclusion that your tummy tuck is medically necessary if you have undergone a bariatric procedure and you have a significant amount of excess skin. This excess skin can get in the way of your legs while you are exercising, cause you pain, and prevent you from losing more weight or maintaining your current weight.
Since bariatric procedures are usually only for individuals who are suffering from a weight-related illness, there’s a good chance your health insurance provider will want you to be as successful as possible on your weight loss journey. If you gain the weight back, you will get sick again and lose your quality of life.
Stress Urinary Incontinence Treatment
Stress urinary incontinence is a type of medical condition common in women who have given vaginal birth. It is caused by a weak pelvic floor and characterized by the leakage of urine when the bladder is “stressed.” Examples of activities that can stress your bladder include coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, and laughing.
During a full tummy tuck, your pelvic region can be restructured to strengthen the pelvic floor and better support your bladder. As a result, you will find that your stress urinary incontinence-related accidents do not reoccur unless you tear your muscles during childbirth in the future or suffer some other sort of trauma to your pelvic region.
Back Pain Treatment
There are types of back pain and many potential causes of back pain. One type of back pain is muscular back pain, and one potential cause of this type of back pain is weak muscles. Your lower back muscles and the muscles supporting your spine may become weak due to chronic poor posture or a traumatic injury, such as a motor vehicle accident.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to maintain proper posture when your back hurts. Weak muscles may or may not start due to poor posture, but poor posture definitely perpetuates the painful cycle. Undergoing a tummy tuck to tighten your loose abdominal muscles may be your only option to ease back pain and improve posture.
Ventral Hernia Correction
Ventral hernias are another condition that often occurs due to childbirth. This condition is characterized by one of your intestines penetrating the wall of your stomach. If you don’t have this corrected during your tummy tuck, you will need to undergo a different medical procedure and pay for anesthesia and all sorts of fees a second time.
How Else Can I Sculpt My Ideal Body?
At The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery, we offer several body contouring procedures and treatments. To discover the perfect combination of aesthetic procedures and treatments, we welcome you to come in for a complimentary consultation. This provides us with an opportunity to examine the physical structure of your body and skin.
You have the opportunity to provide us with pictures of the look you want. Then, we can discuss together what your expectations are. Often, clients who are dissatisfied with the appearance of their abdomen are also concerned about their overall proportions. Some feel their chest is too large. Others feel their hips are disproportionately large.
Breast Reduction
If you are concerned about loose, sagging abdominal skin and breasts that are too large, you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck and breast reduction. If you are concerned about excess fat in your breasts, we can remove excess fat via excision or liposuction, depending on the volume of fat you want to be removed.
If you are concerned about excess glandular tissue, we will remove that to make your breasts more proportional to your waist and hips. We can also remove excess skin tissue. We also offer male breast reduction to treat gynecomastia. Men who seek a tummy tuck and male breast reduction usually use liposuction to remove excess fat from their sides, too.
Breast Augmentation
Some women find that their breasts will look proportional to their waist and hips after they reduce the size of their abdomen. Others have always been confident about the size of their hips and buttocks and want to augment their breasts along with their tummy tuck to get the proportions they’ve always wanted.
The average cost of breast augmentation is between $3,800 and $12,000, depending on the type of anesthesia used, the technique used, the type of implant used, and how much volume is added to your breasts. Keep in mind that if you are satisfied with the size of one of your breasts but not the other, we can add volume to only one breast.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
The only way to definitively answer how much is a tummy tuck is to come in for an initial consultation. This way, we can evaluate all the moving pieces that will affect the price of your unique case. Do you think a tummy tuck is right for you? Contact us at The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Orlando, FL to schedule your initial consultation!