facelift surgery Atlanta

Cosmetic surgery is an ever-growing industry.  Despite the nation’s economic state over the last couple of years, plastic surgery procedures continue to remain a highly requested service.  Many consumers, weary of over-spending their hard-earned dollars have become much more cognizant of the elective things they decide to purchase.  In an effort to dispel some of the rumors surrounding the cost of plastic surgery, Dr. John LeRoy would like to explain the components included in the tabulation of surgery cost.

Generally, most plastic surgeons calculate the cost of each respective procedure based upon the following:  doctor’s fees, surgical suite/ hospital fees, anesthesiologist fees, and material cost for post-operative aids (i.e.-compression garments, specialized dressings, etc.)  For ease of illustration, we’ll use liposuction (body contouring) as a procedure example.  A doctor’s fees’ would include the time he/she invests in performing the procedure (this value will fluctuate based on a surgeon’s experience), the complexity of areas receiving the treatment (i.e. – liposuction of the legs, abdomen, knees, or hips), and the type of tissue to be removed (excess fat is much harder to extract from fibrous tissue than more supple adipose tissues.)

Each medical facility sets their own “rent” if you will to cover the cost of their insurance and supplies.  Most plastic surgeons are not able to perform cosmetic surgery procedures on-site, and must instead use more readily equipped hospital areas.  Fortunately, Dr. John LeRoy’s practice has the advantage of being outfitted to perform an array of in-office procedures (Band Aid procedures).

Dr. LeRoy’s Band Aid Procedures also offer the advantage of requiring only gentle numbing; therefore reducing the costs typically associated with general anesthesia.  It is important to remember however, that not all cosmetic procedures and not all surgeons hold the experience to safely perform this type of procedure with local anesthesia.  Most plastic surgery procedures involving the breast and body (i.e.- breast augmentation, breast reduction, or tummy tuck (abdominioplasty)are recommended only with general anesthesia.  Similar to doctor fees, anesthesiologist fees are contingent upon several varying factors including:  time required for the procedure(s), amount of areas to be numbed, and the existence of outlying health concerns that could complicate administering/ maintaining drugs to keep the patient unconscious.

Material costs, again, vary depending upon the cosmetic procedure.  Liposuction requires several different mechanical aids including specialized lasers or vibration instruments to loosen fat, cannulas (metal tubes) of varying diameter to suction fat, and injected fluids to reduce swelling and bleeding.  Additionally, cosmetic body procedures like liposuction require patients to wear a compression garment to control post-operative swelling and/ or bruising for a time following their surgery.

As you can see, the cost of plastic surgery is highly dependent upon the requirements of the specific patient.  It’s imperative for anyone considering plastic surgery to first have a cosmetic consultation with their prospective surgeon to limit the risk of surgical complication or fluctuation in estimated procedure cost.  To learn more about the cost of Atlanta liposuction, breast augmentation cost, or facelift cost visit Dr. LeRoy’s website and blog.