Tummy tuck cost – Read THIS if you’re thinking of tummy tuck surgery
Welcome to my blog, dear reader. If you give me a few minutes while you read this hopefully not too long post, you’re going to learn what is a tummy tuck, who will benefit the most from a tummy tuck, what is the cost (and I’m not talking only financial here) and risks that you should be aware of and weigh before making a final call.
That being said, let’s jump to …
What is a tummy tuck?
Tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to eliminate fat and excessive skin from your belly, usually followed by rearranging the abdominal muscles. Tummy tuck is also known as abdominoplasty. Depending on the extent of the surgery, the operation can take 1-2 hours (mini tummy tuck) or 4-5 hours for a complete abdominoplasty.
About 40-50% of the skin is removed and this way you can even get rid of the ugly stretch marks. The doctors will also create a new belly button for you, so you may want to say your good bye to the old one.
The tummy tuck usually is followed up by liposuction.
Your body should recover within 1-3 weeks after the operation.
Is tummy tuck for you?
Tummy tuck isn’t for everybody. A firm abdomen is what we all want, but making thousands of ab crunches is definitely not the way. Sometimes it’s just not possible. Tummy tuck may be for you if you have excessive fat or unwanted loose skin.
You’re a perfect candidate for tummy tuck, if you:
- Don’t smoke
- Have realistic expectations (there may be permanent scars & other side effects)
- Are healthy overall and able to withstand a surgical procedure
- If your weight is stable for at least 6 months (if no massive weight gain or loss has occurred recently, you would be a viable candidate)
- Have good skin tone and elasticity
- Are emotionally stable (this is one of the criteria for the perfect candidate … if you can’t handle the end results may not be exactly be what you hoped for, it is understandable why this is one important factor)
- Understand and accept the risks of surgery
I know tummy tuck can be an easy way out, but still tummy tuck is major surgery. You should read the risks and costs first, and then look at the before and after pictures (if you bookmark this blog, I’ll add a lot of these in the near future).
What’s the cost, doc?
The cost of a tummy tuck depends from country to country, and even cities. Typically, in US the cost of a tummy tuck surgery ranges from $4k to $20k.
Price can vary depending on a lot of factors. The first one is how extensive is the surgery (is it a mini tummy tuck or complete abdominoplasty?).
The second criteria is the surgeon’s reputation. A good surgeon will probably not charge less than $10k even for a mini tummy tuck. Is it worth it? Of course it is. This is major surgery, and you are better off in the hands of a skilled doctor. Not to mention the risks will be lower. This is my opinion. It may cost extra, but it’s your health and future looks that’s on the line…
The third factor is location. I know this may not make a lot of sense at first but think about it … Would price be the same if you went to a luxurious, 5-stars doctor in Beverly Hills compared to a local doctor in a small town that only gets one or two clients for tummy tucks a month if he, or she is lucky?
I found a great price chart for mini tummy tucks published on this website http://www.cosmeticplasticsurgerystatistics.com/costs.html :
Location is not limited to cities or US states. Price can vary quite a lot from country to country. We’re only going to discuss averages here so you can get a rough idea what to expect. In Canada, the average price is $3k-$4k, while in the UK and Australia price is the same as US.
Here is a more detailed list of tummy tuck cost by country:
| UK | $8,418 |
| Argentina | $3,140 |
| Austria | $6,363 |
| Belgium | $3,869 |
| Bolivia | $2,413 |
| Brazil | $1,880 |
| Cuba | $1,831 |
| Cyprus | $4,991 |
| Czech | $3,987 |
| France | $4,482 |
| Greece | $6,265 |
| Hungary | $3,136 |
| India | $3,001 |
| Lithuania | $2,147 |
| Malaysia | $3,903 |
| Morocco | $2,576 |
| Poland | $3,668 |
| Slovakia | $3,236 |
| South Africa | $6,120 |
| Spain | $6,591 |
| Thailand | $3,764 |
| Tunisia | $3,423 |
| Turkey | $3,693 |
| Venezuela | $3,050 |
| References:http://www.treatmentabroad.com/cost/cosmetic-surgery-abroad-cost/tummy-tuck/ | |
The prices will go up considerably if other surgeries are tied into this like liposuction or lateral thigh lift.
You should take into account that the surgeon’s fee is not the only fee you have to pay. There’s an anesthesiologist fee (roughly around $500), facility fees ($500-$700 .. or more), spending the night for observation, lab work, pre and post operative check-ups, post-operative garments, approval from your family doctor and other costs I may have omitted right now.
I’m going to jump a little further to one of the common side effects of tummy tuck is that a serum can build up under your skin. If this does happen, you have to visit your surgeon once again (and pay a little more each time).
You should also consider that you need follow up visits and sometimes, even a second procedure to make sure your body looks the way you wanted it to. This can certainly add up to the total cost.
Tummy tuck isn’t cheap, and up until not long ago, reserved only for the most affluent.
Health insurance does not normally cover tummy tucks, as it is not considered necessary medical procedure. There are options however, even for the little guy. Due to the economy crisis, you can now pay via credit card for your surgery. You can pay small monthly installments directly to your plastic surgeon. You can take a loan with small, fixed interest rate. There are companies that specialize in offering loans for cosmetic medical procedures. Make sure to check your options, and investigate a company’s reputation online before applying for a loan.
Now, that you know a little about what a tummy tuck is and the average cost around US (and other countries), you have to spend a few minutes and read about the risks …
[IMPORTANT READ] What are the risks?
Tummy tuck is a relatively safe procedure, but every surgery (especially one so complex as this) has risks.
Here are some of the risks of tummy tucks (some of the risks are specific to this surgery, while other risks apply to all surgeries):
- Anesthesia complications (like a possible allergic reaction)
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Tissue Loss
- Serum build up under the skin in the recovery period
- Not getting the results you were expecting
- Poor wound healing
- Asymmetry
- Pain
- Never damage
- Permanent scars
- Possible need of other surgical interventions
- Death (in some rare occasions when blood clots appear that may lead to cardiac arrest)
A couple of videos I believe you should watch next for more visual information …




