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 :

 

Tummy tuck cost per region

Tummy tuck cost per region

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 …


 

 

Does the tummy tuck belt work?

 

It seems that during recent years the battle against obesity has been taken a notch above the traditional eating right and exercising adage. These days there are various intricate programs and ridiculous diets designed to help you lose weight faster than ever before. Among the myriad of new inventions and technologies is the Tummy Tuck Belt, designed to help you flatten your stomach and reduce the amount of stomach fat. However, just like with any other such product out there, it begs for the question: does the Tummy Tuck Belt work?

Well, to start things off let’s compare to it to the next most effective treatment for eliminating belly fat: surgery. You’ve probably heard of liposuction already as many years ago people started going crazy for the procedure as it seemed to be the perfect solution to everyone’s fat-related problems. However, quite soon the problems started to become apparent.

Surgery is a very intrusive procedure on the body which requires the use of various hazardous chemicals, not to mention the fact that it leaves some nasty traces. To be quite honest, using surgery to get rid of belly fat is a bit like using a napalm strike to kill a fly; while the objective will be achieved, the means will bring about a slew of other problems to contend with. To make a long story short, surgery should only be used as a last resort.

Now, does the Tummy Tuck Belt work? Well, it has actually been tested by two different medical universities and the results were quite positive. It has been determined that the 10-minute Tummy Tuck exercises do work as advertised, as heat kept building up in the stomach region more than three hours after the belt was taken off. A heat build-up in any region of the body generally occurs due to calorie being burnt, which basically means that the Tummy Tuck Belt literally helps to burn calories hours after you’ve stopped using it.

What exactly do the customers think? Does the Tummy Tuck Belt work according to them? Well, considering every product out there attracts negative reviews at one point or another, the Tummy Tuck Belt is actually doing quite well. While there are a good amount of naysayers out there who do not believe in the advertised effects, there are many out there who have tried and believe it to actually be working. I recommend that you take a look at those reviews for yourself; you can find them by simply looking for “Tummy Tuck Belt reviews” on your search engine of choice.

All in all, considering that the Tummy Tuck Belt has been proven to work by medical studies and is supported by a large number of customers, I believe it is more than worth a shot coming for 2 payments of $19.99, especially when the other choice is surgery. In any case, there is a 30-day money back guarantee which comes along with the Tummy Tuck Belt, meaning that even if it doesn’t give you the results you expected you can simply return it for a full refund and never look back.

Tummy tuck risks

 

Today’s culture is quite a sedentary one, promoting a lifestyle which often leads to a poor physical shape. As a result, there is an extremely large amount of people these days that are classified as overweight or even obese in some cases. Fortunately though, we are fighting and various technological progresses have given us the opportunity to take it to the next level.

It has gone to the point where today surgeries such as tummy tucks are available in order to remove the fat. However, before going into one of these, do you really need it, and do you understand the tummy tuck risks which the procedure implies?

First off, you need to understand that a tummy tuck is somewhat different from a liposuction the sense that it is more for cosmetic purposes than health ones. Contrary to liposuction which only removes the fat, a tummy tuck actually works to treat your skin in order to remove unpleasant sights such as stretch marks and a flabby stomach.

How do you know if you need it? If you have an excessively saggy and loose skin, a good number of stretch marks, a large amount of excess fat around your abdomen or a rounded tummy then you will be able to reap the benefits of a tummy tuck.

Before you rush off to the clinic though, make sure to understand the tummy tuck risks involved in this procedure. To start things off, you will receive two surgery scars with one being right above the pubic area with another one being around the belly button. While serious health complications after such a surgery are rare risks of infections, incision separation, blood clots, post-operative bleeding, as well as side effects from anesthesia.

In addition to that, for some weeks after the surgery you are going to have muscle aches in your abdomen as your body works to weave itself back together. You will also need to take at least a month before you can start to think about doing some heavy exercises, especially abdominal ones.

When are the tummy tuck risks worth it exactly? Well, to be quite honest this is a cosmetic surgery we are talking about, meaning that in most cases it has to do with how much you hate exercising and eating right. However, it is true that stretch marks on the skin can only be removed through a belly tuck, meaning that if you have a large amount of those marks around your abdomen, then you will have to go through with a tummy tuck in order to remove them. To make a long story short, this type of procedure is worth the risks and post-operation complications only if it’s your only option.

To sum things up, simply keep in mind that surgeries, even cosmetic ones such as belly tucks have their fair share of complications and disadvantages. If you can achieve the results promised by the surgeries through more natural methods, then you should try and do so. However, in some cases there are simply no other options and one must simply buck down and bear through the risks.

 

What is a tummy tuck?

 

We are all obsessed with beauty. It is an elusive thing that we constantly strive to attain. It cuts across all ages, genders, races etc. And as people get wealthy, more and more opt to go for cosmetic surgery. They go for breast enlargements, tummy tucks, hair transplants, nose jobs, facelifts, just to mention a few. Well, these procedures cost money-and a lot of it-but people are ready pay in order to attain that elusive beauty. Well, let’s talk about a tummy tuck.

What is a tummy tuck?

A tummy tuck, medically known as abdominoplasty, is the surgical removal of the excess fat and skin from one’s middle and lower section of the abdomen and, in some cases, the tightening of their abdominal muscles. It results in a person having a flatter stomach, and a thinner waist as the procedure repairs the sagging, loose skin and gets rid of excess fat.

Before you decide to have a tummy tuck, you must have realistic expectations about it and consult with an experienced surgeon so that you know all the risks and benefits of the procedure. Your overall health, type of skin, and age can all have a huge impact on the results of a tummy tuck procedure.

Who should have a tummy tuck?

Well, both men and women, provided they are in good overall health, can have a tummy tuck.

A tummy tuck is different from a liposuction but your surgeon may choose to include liposuction along with the tummy tuck if need be.

Perfect candidates for this procedure are women whose skin and muscles have been stretched by many pregnancies. They can benefit from a tummy tuck which will tighten their muscles as well as reduce their skin. Men and women who are obese are also good candidates for a tummy tuck, as they have loose skin and excess fat in the abdominal area.

What are the pros and cons of a tummy tuck?

The pros

Tummy Tuck
by dearanxiety under CC BY-ND  with wpseopix.com
Tummy Tuck

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It is quite obvious that the most prominent of benefits of having a tummy tuck is the fact that you have a flatter, firmer, and tighter abdomen. This achieved by the removal of certain fat deposits and skin. In fact, this is the main reason why people opt for the procedure in the first place.

Another benefit of a tummy tuck is that it gives you a trimmer waistline. You should not only concentrate on your abdomen as a tummy tuck can also have a very beneficial effect on your waist.

One of the greatest benefits of a tummy tuck to women is the fact that it can help them get rid of stretch marks.

But perhaps the greatest benefit of tummy tucks in women is that it gives them an ego and confidence boost by flattering their figures so that they look stunning in their outfits.

The cons

You should remember that a tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure. And just as other forms of surgery, you put your life on the line and also run the risk of many healthy hazards that might probably be serious. Since there are no guarantees with this procedure, you need to find the best surgeon for the job.

A tummy tuck also leaves behind scars. You should consult with your surgeon about this and more health issues before you decide to go for the procedure or not.

It also takes quite a long time for a tummy tuck to heal. Before you have a tummy tuck, take all factors into consideration before you find the right time to have the surgery.

Tummy tucks are also quite expensive. Check out the Tummy Tuck Cost here! The procedure may set you back financially, but it is a worthwhile investment as nothing compares to the ego and confidence boost it can give you.

So if you are planning to have a tummy tuck, it is important that you consult with a highly qualified and experienced tummy tuck surgeon so that you know everything you need to know about the procedure before you make your decision.

Will insurance pay for tummy tuck?

 

Sometimes no matter how many situps, crunches, or other abdominal exercises you do you just can’t seem to get rid of excess fat and skin on your tummy.  It is even more difficult for women who have had multiple pregnancies, as well as people who have lost a significant amount of weight. For those who have tried everything to get rid of sagging skin and excess fat on their bellies, a tummy tuck may be the right answer to getting the firm, flat belly they are searching for.  The problem for most people, however, is that tummy tucks are extremely expensive.  They run on average around $6500, which is no small change for the average person looking to enhance their appearance. Please also read the Tummy Tuck Cost post, to understand how the cost varies and what alternatives do you have…

Tummy Tuck
by melohel under CC BY-ND  with wpseopix.com
Tummy Tuck

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If you are considering getting a tummy tuck, you will most likely have to pay for the cost of the procedure out of your own pocket.  In most instances, the procedure is considered strictly cosmetic.  Because it is cosmetic, it is considered elective surgery meaning it is not necessary to maintain good health.  For this reason, insurance companies will not usually cover the cost of a tummy tuck.

In some rare cases, insurance companies have been known to cover a portion of the tummy tuck procedure.  In these cases, there has been some sort of condition which compromises a person’s health.  For example, any type of abdominal surgery such as hernia repair, appendectomy, hysterectomy, or any other type of surgery performed on the abdomen.  Insurance may cover part of the procedure when performed in conjunction with the abdominal surgery.

The actual procedure is not usually covered by insurance companies, but the cost of anesthesia and hospital stay will be covered as part of the necessary non-elective procedure.  Since a procedure like an appendectomy is usually emergent and not one which is planned, it would be difficult to plan a tummy tuck around it.  Other procedures like a hernia repair, or a partial or full hysterectomy are planned procedures.  In cases like these, you may be able to get a tummy tuck done at the same time and only pay a portion of the price of the tummy tuck.  Since you will be under anesthesia anyway, and you will already be required to stay in the hospital overnight, those portions of the procedure will be covered.  Usually the only part you will have to pay out of pocket, then, will be the standard surgeon fee of around $4500.  It may take careful planning to collaborate with a general surgeon and your plastic surgeon, but most will be willing to work with you so you can get the look you want.

Many people struggle with trying to achieve a firm, flat belly.  For women who have had babies, as well as men and women who have lost a significant amount of weight all the situps in the world will not get rid of the layer of fat and skin on their bellies.  Many people then seek out a surgical means of eliminating the excess around their midsections.  Tummy tucks are a great way for people to be able to get the firm, flat tummies they are looking for.  Because they are considered cosmetic procedures, however, insurance companies will not typically cover the cost of a standard tummy tuck.  If, however, you are able to coordinate efforts of a general surgeon for a non-elective procedure and a plastic surgeon for the tummy tuck, you can save upwards of $2000 on the tummy tuck.