Before and after a tummy tuck surgery. (Credit: Wikipedia)
As we age, it gets harder to lose weight and somehow, it always seems easier to gain it even though we might not be consuming too much food, or unhealthy food for that matter.
This is obviously pretty frustrating but thanks to plastic surgery, we have a cure for that unpleasant fat that adds up on our belly with age (or due to lose abdominal skin and muscles secondary to multiple pregnancies in case of women).
Once you have decided that you need a tummy tuck surgery, obviously what you need to know next is how much it costs. But as you’ll see, the cost of a tummy tuck (or any surgery for that matter) isn’t a single amount – it’s the sum of many sub-divisions of the procedure you have opted for.
What Is The Abdominoplasty Cost Made of?
Let’s consider the U.S.A first. The cost of abdominoplasty or a tummy tuck surgery is basically composed of the following entities whose average costs are listed below:
| Service | Average Cost |
| Surgeon | $3000-$9000 |
| Hospital (where the surgery is carried out) | $800-$2500 |
| Anaesthesiologist: | $500-$1500 |
| Pre-operative tests: | Up to $600 |
| Post-operative Medicines, Compression Garments, etc | Up to $400 |
| Total cost: | $5300 – $14000 |
What Factors Influence The Final Cost of Tummy Tuck?
As you can see in the table above, the costs are distributed over a wide range. So what factors really decide how much the final cost will be? Here’s an overview of the most crucial factors that will decide how much money is eventually spent on your tummy tuck surgery:
- The Geographical Factor:
Where you chose to get your surgical procedure done is probably the most important factor with regard to the final costs. That is because various surgeons have different levels of experience as well as expertise. Moreover, those areas where the cost of living is higher and surgeons are in greater demand tend to have higher surgical costs.
- The extent of your surgical procedure:
The more extensive your surgery, the higher the costs. If you’re getting the ‘mommy-makeover,’ you will be given breast augmentation along with the abdominoplasty. If you are opting for only an abdominoplasty, the operation will definitely cost higher if it is to be more complicated owing to large amounts of fat in the area of your abdomen or if it requires excessive skin remodelling, etc.
How to Reach Your Final Decision
In addition to the above mentioned factors, keep in mind that surgeons who live in areas where there is a high demand for abdominoplasty tend to be more skilled than others since they have taken up a larger number of surgeries. Thus, don’t make the mistake of opting for an in-expensive clinic since that will put your health at risk. Make your decision carefully. A ‘yes’ to all of the following questions is a necessity if you want a safe and successful surgery:
- First of all, is the surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? (you can do this by either calling the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1-866-275-2267 and asking them about the name of your surgeon or visiting the Board Certification Verification website and entering your surgeon’s complete name).
- Did he or she explain the surgical procedure in reasonable detail to you?
- Does he/she have enough experience in his speciality (a minimum of 5 years is good enough. However, make sure that he/she has at least 2-3 years of experience in abdominoplasty within his 5 year experience of abdominal surgery).
- Do they have an M.D. Anaesthesiologist and a recognized anaesthesia facility?
- Will your surgeon carry out the procedure? (This is important to ask since some units appoint residents to carry out certain surgeries, something that is supposed to be much cheaper than the experienced surgeon carrying out the procedure himself. In addition, it’s not completely safe since residents do not have much experience).
- Are all drugs/equipments/implants used in your surgery approved by the FDA?
It is preferable if all the answer to all the above questions is ‘yes,’ since you might be at considerable risk of surgical complications or a completely unsuccessful surgery if even one of the above requirements is not met.
Different Types of Tummy Tuck Surgeries and Their Cost
Apart from the regular tummy tuck surgery, there are three other types of surgeries that are now offered in order to remodel the abdominal area whose outlines are as following:
| Surgery | The Basic Principle of the Procedure | Average Cost in the U.S.A | Ideal Candidates’ Characteristics |
| Mini Tummy Tuck | The main steps of the procedure are the same as the classic tummy tuck surgery. However, the amount of skin and fat removed is much less and the scar is therefore smaller. | $2000-$7000 | People with less extra skin and fat as compared to those who are eligible for the regular tummy tuck. (In simple terms, if the skin around your belly button does not stretch down to the skin around your pubis, you should opt for that and embrace the relatively low mini tummy tuck cost!) |
| Extended Tummy Tuck | Extra skin and fat is removed from the flanks of the patient (the so-called ‘love-handles’ are therefore abolished) in addition to the surgical steps of the classic abdominoplasty procedure. | $6000-$1000 | People who have reduced a significant amount of weight and wish to get rid of the extra skin hanging lose over their abdomen, people with too much fat in the upper hip, lower back and flanks, etc. |
| Tumescent Tummy Tuck | The tumescent solution is injected into the fat so that it becomes firm and its removal is carried out with minimal blood loss and post-op pain, the rest of the surgical steps being the same as the traditional abdominoplasty. | $4000-$6500 | All those people who are eligible for the regular tummy tuck surgery as well as those with too much fat so that excessive blood loss can be prevented. |
Although not too extensive, the above details give you a general outline and will be helpful in guiding you towards further research regarding what type of surgery you should eventually opt for.
How Much Does a Tummy Tuck Cost in the U.S ?
So, what’s next?
With the basics covered, let’s get down to the main point: how much does a tummy tuck surgery cost anyway? As you already know, it varies from country to country and state to state. For simplicity, we’re going to cover the average cost of tummy tuck traditional surgery in various states of the U.S.A:
| State | Average Cost ($) | State | Average Cost ($) |
| 1. Alabama | 3000 | 26. Montana | 6500 |
| 2. Alaska | 4500 | 27. Nebraska | 6500 |
| 3. Arizona | 8000 | 28. Nevada | 7500 |
| 4. Arkansas | 6500 | 29. New Hampshire | 8000 |
| 5. California | 15,000 | 30. New Jersey | 7000 |
| 6. Colorado | 10,000 | 31. New Mexico | 5500 |
| 7. Connecticut | 7500 | 32. New York | 8000 |
| 8. Delaware | 9000 | 33. North Carolina | 9000 |
| 9. Florida | 8000 | 34. North Dakota | 5000 |
| 10. Georgia | 5000 | 35. Ohio | 9000 |
| 11. Hawaii | 9000 | 36. Oklahoma | 8000 |
| 12. Idaho | 5500 | 37. Oregon | 6500 |
| 13. Illinois | 7500 | 38. Pennsylvania | 7000 |
| 14. Indiana | 8000 | 39. Rhode Island | 4000 |
| 15. Iowa | 6500 | 40. South Carolina | 8000 |
| 16. Kansas | 12,000 | 41. South Dakota | 5500 |
| 17. Kentucky | 7500 | 42. Tennessee | 6500 |
| 18. Louisiana | 8500 | 43. Texas | 8500 |
| 19. Maine | 7500 | 44. Utah | 7000 |
| 20. Maryland | 7000 | 45. Vermont | 5000 |
| 21. Massachusetts | 7500 | 46. Virginia | 8500 |
| 22. Michigan | 9000 | 47. Washington | 10,000 |
| 23. Minnesota | 7000 | 48. West Virginia | 6000 |
| 24. Mississippi | 5500 | 49. Wisconsin | 8000 |
| 25. Missouri | 6000 | 50. Wyoming | 5000 |
Note: The above values are averages costs which means you might find surgeons who charge less or more than the stated values. The deviation from these average values is $2000, either more or less than the observed average values.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Tummy tuck surgery, as you can see, might cost you a lot. Many people wonder if there are alternatives. The first one is that you can opt for a mini-tummy tuck surgery if you are eligible for that instead of the complete abdominoplasty. Another one is to travel to other countries for the surgery. Costs are almost 50% less in Turkey and Argentina when compared to the U.S. In countries such as India or Pakistan, these costs are never over $2500.
However, many people opt for Costa Rica because not only is it cheap, but it also has reputable surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery carrying out surgical procedures there. That is because these surgeons have to pay a multitude of taxes, insurance, etc which they are exempt from in Costa Rica, due to which they subsequently perform cheaper surgeries. So if you’re in the mood for travelling along with getting a tummy tuck that won’t cost you more than $4000, Costa Rica is the perfect option for you. Embrace medical tourism.
Finally – Do I Think It’s Worth It?
A completely sutured area where close to a hundred square centimeters of skin were carried off during a lipo-tuck procedure (a mix of liposuction and abdominoplasty). Note the “neo”-umbilicus (belly button) that was reattached to a new hole that was created just for that. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Tummy tuck is not the alternative to exercise and is not a means of drastic weight loss. It is characteristically for those people who have lose abdominal musculature, extra skin and excessive fat around the abdomen which is hard to lose after a pregnancy or weight loss.
If you’re looking for something to modify your figure without exercising or eating a healthy diet, do not waste you time and money on this surgery. Provided that you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can definitely opt for this procedure.
You do not have to chose the most expensive surgeon, all you need to do is to make sure that the doctor you choose satisfies the requirements that I listed earlier. When all those are met, you can choose just about any surgeon no matter what he charges. With all these steps carried out well, your abdominoplasty procedure is definitely going to be worth it! My advice: Choose your surgeon carefully and go for it!
