How Much Does Tumescent Liposuction Cost?

Question

Is tumescent liposuction less expensive than traditional forms of lipo? I would guess so because the cost of anesthesia must be lower... have I assumed correctly?

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

Often it is not the best approach to find the cheapest plastic surgeon. Does the surgeon specialize in this procedure? What are their credentials? How long have they been in practice? What percentage of their practice is cosmetic surgery? How many of these surgeries have they performed? Do they use the latest techniques? What do their results look like? Do they have photos to show of their work? Do they provide follow-up themselves, or will you only see the nurses (or even just an assistant)? Are they available by phone for an emergency or does one of their staff answer after-hour calls? What is the impression you get from their office and staff? Are they professional and informative? Do they know what they are talking about? You need to ask yourself all of these questions.The prices can vary from state to state, and city to city.  We charge for liposuction per area.  The abdomen (upper and lower side to side) is one area.  The waist (from the ribs to just above the buttocks from side to side around the back) is one area.  The thighs (both inner and outer) is one area.  Our costs, including the board certified plastic surgeon's fees, board certified anesthesiologist's fees, operating room, labs, garment, vitamins, and follow-up at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months 6 months, and every year after forever, are listed below.  If you need more follow-up appointments, those are free as well.  The cost per area does go down as you add more areas:One area: cost per area around $5000.  Two areas: cost per area round $3200.  Three areas: cost per area around $2500When comparing quotes from different doctors, check to make sure that the costs you are quoted are for the same thing!  For instance, often the cost per area is quoted as lower, yet the abdomen is comprised of upper and lower, and sometimes even lateral areas (2 to 4 areas for the abdomen, instead we consider the entire abdomen one area) or the thighs are inner and outer (2 areas when we consider the thighs one area).  Make sure you are comparing apples to apples.  Also check to see what type of anesthesia and facility you are going to be treated in.  If the total price is lower but you are not going to receive proper anesthesia from a board certified anesthesiologist, then are you getting a better deal (or inferior treatment)?  If the facility is not a certified outpatient surgery center but is an in-office procedure room, is the difference in safety worth the cost reduction?  If the doctor is not a board certified plastic surgeon, is that worth the discount in the fees?  I would say the answer to all three of these questions is no!  This is your body, make sure you are making decisions based on the quality of care, the experience and training of the doctor, and proven results.  Cost alone should not be the deciding factor.

Joyce C. Chen, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

Thanks so much for your question!  Tumescent liposuction is using local anesthetic during liposuction, which can be done with no sedation, light sedation, or under general anesthesia with varying costs.  Pricing on liposuction is typically based on a patient's size and also the number of areas treated.  Hope this helps...best of luck!
Joyce C. Chen, MD, MPH, FACS

John Mancoll, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. According to real self the average cost for liposuction  is about $6000.  With that said costs will vary significantly based on many factors. How many areas are treated, whether or not you are getting general anesthesia, what type of facility it is being done in all influential final cost. My best advice is that you get what you pay for. Don't be mislead by cheap lipo. Always look to make sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the work is being done in an accredited facility. Good luck

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

The cost of tumescent liposuction depends on the number of areas treated and the cost of anesthesia.  Most cases can be performed in an outpatient setting with local anesthesia. Best, DR. Karamanoukian

Scott C. Sattler, MD, FACS · Answer

Tumescent liposuction is safe an effective for body contouring. Tumescent lipo cost schemes can vary based on patient BMI, number of areas treated and other factors.

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

It’s
often assumed that tumescent liposuction using only local anesthesia is less
expensive than traditional liposuction because general anesthesia is not
utilized.  In the vast majority of
cases, this approach is more expensive because operative times are longer and
this represents a significant source of expense.

The
term tumescent liposuction appears to mean different things to different
physicians based on their surgical backgrounds.  The term tumescent means to engorge, and tumescent
liposuction involves infusing fluid into the anatomic area that will be
undergoing liposuction.  This fluid
contains epinephrine, which minimizes bleeding and local anesthetic which helps
with post-operative pain relief. 
When this approach is utilized the technique can be performed in some
cases without general anesthesia. 
Many surgeons prefer general anesthesia when they utilize tumescent
technique because break through pain can occur when local anesthesia is used
alone.

Tumescent
liposuction costs vary and are dependent upon multiple factors.  These include the surgeon’s fee,
facility fee, anesthesia charges and location of the procedure.  Tumescent liposuction and traditional
liposuction have similar cost if other variables are constant.

In
the Midwestern United States, liposuction fees range from $2,700 to $3,600 per anatomic area. 
This would typically include the surgeons fee, facility fee, anesthesia
charges and after care.

Cost
is obviously important, but it’s also important to be comfortable with the surgeons
experience and qualifications. 
Make sure you get your questions answered and are comfortable with your
surgeon.

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Tumescent takes longer than a general and this negates the cost savings. The cost is similar, but you do not have to recover from general anesthesia, but you may feel a little pain with the procedure. It is tolerable, but both have pluses and minuses.

York Jay Yates, MD · Answer

Tumescent liposuction is a type of traditional liposuction.  "Tumescent" refers to the type of local anesthetic used.  This can be done under general anesthesia, sedation, or even wide awake.  The tumescent fluid makes it numb.
Traditional liposuction is a term to differentiate a few other types of "non-traditional" liposuction including ultrasound assisted liposuction and laser assisted liposuction.
Generally the cost of tumescent liposuction depends on the areas treated and the type of anesthesia used.  In my practice (Utah), tumescent liposuction is always done under sedation or wide awake (depending on the patient).  The cost of each area runs from $1200 to $2500.  Common areas include the abdomen, upper hips, outer thigh/ buttock, inner thighs, and back.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Tumescent liposuction is usually more expensive than traditional liposuction because of the technique involved. It is using local anesthesia to numb up the areas which is much safer than the old method of using general anesthesia for liposuction. Also, most doctors who do tumescent anesthesia are also using the micro cannulas which are much smaller instruments to suck the fat out. The smaller the instrument, then the smoother the result but the more work it takes for the doctor. Since you are comfortable, you don't mind the extra time involved to suck the fat out through these small cannulas since you know you are going to get a far superior result and that is what everyone wants: Better Results!  
Doctors who are stuck in the stone age who still do liposuction under general anesthesia are most likely still using the larger cannulas also, and therefore are giving only so-so results. I like to stand the patients up and sit them up and turn them in different positions during the surgery to be able to fine-tune the results. This is why being awake is so important. When you are lying down on the table asleep, you know your stomach goes flat and shifts to the sides. Under general anesthesia, you can't see what you are doing very well. When they are awake and can assist you, you get better results when you finesse the areas by observing the patient in different positions and you fix the areas right then. This is why it is more expensive for the tumescent technique lipo with micro canulas but it is so worth it.   
Good Luck.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

There are several factors which make your assumption not necessarily correct:

Tumescent is a word which can be translated to "engorged". The tissues are filled with fluid to the point they are engorged. Although it is frequently used to imply an anesthetic technique, it does not necessarily mean that the procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Tumescent technique can also be performed under general anesthesia.
If it is used as the only form of anesthesia, it may take more time to acheive adequate levels of analgesia. In these instances, if you are being charged for operative times, it could cost you additional fees that would have to be compared to the shorter times under general anesthesia.