The Cost of Liposuction in St. Louis
Liposuction Cost
The cost of liposuction varies. Several factors influence the total cost including the number of areas treated, the type of area treated, the amount of fat to be removed from the areas, and so on. Usually, the liposuction cost per body area decreases if more than one body area is treated, since it is easier and more efficient to treat one more area.
There is wide fee variation among doctors who perform liposuction, and regional variation in fees as well. Amount of fat to be removed affects the cost: Liposuction is not a quick procedure. It takes considerable time to perform. Therefore, if you have a lot of fat that needs to be removed, it takes considerably longer, and the cost will probably be higher. Cost of liposuction from some doctors may also include a facility fee, prices for liposuction compression garments worn after surgery, fees for blood tests or laboratory tests, or other fees.
We do not require a facility fee and do not require extra expense for an anesthesiologist. Most of our patients are very physically fit and are not overweight, so the figures below apply the vast majority of the time. In cases where a patient is significantly above ideal body weight, the cost of liposuction is adjusted accordingly.
Our fee schedule serves as a rough guide which hopefully will be helpful in getting a ball-park idea of liposuction cost.
Your initial consultation is always free and will give you a good sense of what your total cost will be.
Cost of Your Lipsuction with Dr. Wright
Your initial consultation is free. Dr. Wright will discuss with you what your goals are and assess what this will require in terms of procedures conducted by him. A final cost will be determined, which is all inclusive. There are no extra costs for facility, supplies, equipment, aftercare or tests.
Dr. Wright can discuss financing with you. There are several financing options. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure and is thus not covered by health insurance.
Procedures with Dr. Wright range between $1,500 – $6,000 depending on areas treated and amount of work to be done.
Comparing Liposuction Costs Among Doctors
Cost of Liposuction is an important factor when considering liposuction. However the quality of liposuction is more important than the cost of liposuction. If the ultimate goal of liposuction is to have a happy patient, then the surgeon’s expertise and experience are probably more important than the price. Price is important, but it is not the most important.
It’s important to accurately anticipate your total cost for the liposuction procedure in advance so that you don’t get any unwelcome surprises.
Because Dr. Wright only performs tumescent liposuction using local anesthesia, there is no need for general anesthesia or for hospital use. This means there is no cost for anesthesiologists, hospital fees, or other hospital-related fees. In order to keep it simple, predictable, and understandable, in our office there are no other costs.
If comparing doctors and finding out how much liposuction will cost, it’s important to consider the total fees that may be incurred. These fees or charges may be billed by your doctor, or even billed by some other person/entity/hospital. Ask about other costs, charges, or fees. There are lots of ways of figuring liposuction prices, so you’ll want to ask what other costs, charges, or fees you may incur before, during or after your liposuction procedure. These could include garments, tests, operating room time, anesthesiologist time, incidental charges for medications, etc. There may or may not be fees for incidental items
Also you should arrive at an understanding of how your doctor counts the areas to be treated, if number of areas is used to figure the cost of liposuction. Usually the upper and lower abdomen are counted as two different areas. The waist and hips are separate areas. The lateral (“saddlebag”) or outer thigh, front (anterior), back (posterior), and inside (medial) thighs can all be large areas and are usually counted separately. This can be a little confusing, so there are some examples in the links below. Since it would be very unusual to require liposuction on one side of the body but not the other, the left and right thighs (or whatever area is in question), would not likely be counted as separate areas by your doctor. But you should ask.
Choosing a surgeon based on the lowest price might ultimately be the most expensive choice if the initial cosmetic results are so bad that another surgeon must be paid to repair the work of the first surgery. Cost of liposuction is an important factor when considering liposuction. However, the quality of liposuction is more important than the cost of liposuction. If the ultimate goal of liposuction is to have a happy patient, then the surgeon’s expertise, attention to detail and experience are probably as significant to consider as any price. Price is important, but it is not the basis for the best decision. Liposuction is health care. Be careful not to put your body on the “Discount Rack.”
Liposuction Financing / Cosmetic Surgery Financing
Liposuction financing is available and arrangements can usually be made through the doctor’s office, or we can point you to sources for cosmetic surgery financing.
For comparison purposes, here are some commonly treated areas of liposuction, and the high and low ends of these fees in the United States.
Abdomen (upper and lower) $3,000 – $7,500
Abdomen (lower) $2,000 – $2,000
Breasts (male) $3,000 – $5,000
Breasts (female) $3,000 – $7,500
Buttocks $1,500 – $4,500
Chin, Cheek, Jowls, Neck $2,000 – $4,500
Hips/Waist $1,600 – $5,000
Lowest Price Can Be Most Expensive
The most common undesirable outcomes of liposuction are 1) incomplete liposuction with very little evidence that liposuction was actually done, 2) excessive liposuction producing an unnatural or disfigured appearance, 3) irregular and uneven results with unsightly depressions in the skin, and 4) large scars that reveal that the patient has had liposuction.
