If you have an extreme case of body dysmorphia, would insurance help cover the cost of lipo to get rid of the disorder?

Question

After having kids a gained a lot of weight and stomach fat. It effects my day to day life and has caused extreme depression that medications and therapies don't help (after all, they don't take away the excess fat).

Jeffrey D. Wagner, MD · Answer

Plastic surgery is not a cure for body dysmorphia at all.  In fact, seeking multiple plastic surgeries may be a symptom of patients who have this disorder.  Regardless, I doubt very much that insurance would cover liposuction for this diagnosis.  I recommend you discuss this situation with your primary physician, and possibly other specialists.  if you wish to investigate plastic surgery, seek consultation with a board certified ASPS surgeon.

Finny George, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for sharing your experience and asking your question. 
I’m so sorry that you are going through this. Regardless of financial considerations, surgery is never a good solution for patients who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder. 
There are a number of mental health specialists who can give you advice and determine the best options for treatment. 
I hope this helps.

Erik Miles, MD, FACS · Answer

Liposuction, or any other cosmetic procedure for that matter, will not cure body dysmorphic disorder.  By definition, patients with this condition are never satisfied with their bodies.  It is possible that insurance might cover therapy.  Discuss this with your surgeon and primary care provider. I wish you the best.

Marcus Davis, MBBS, MRM, FRCSEd (Plast) · Answer

Dear ssheritt,
I am sorry to hear the mental troubles you are experiencing as a result of your weight gain, especially around the abdominal region.
Unfortunately surgery of any form is not the answer to Body Dysmorphia - it can often make things worse for you. I would advise that you seek help from both a dietician for possible help with weight loss and a clinical psychologist for help with the Body dysmorphia. A surgeon is the last person to be seeing.
I wish you the best of luck.
Marcus

Jeffrey Antimarino, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.   It is very unlikely that insurance would cover the cost of your liposuction.   If you truly have body dysmorphia, then I would recommend seeing a therapist or a different therapist than you are seeing to help you work through the issues prior to any cosmetic procedure.   The chances that surgery will help you correct the body dysmorphia and depression are extremely small.   Body dysmorphia is extremely complex to treat, as you have mentioned but surgery is not the answer or the cure.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

surgery is not the treatment for body dysmorphia. In fact repeated surgical procedures often make the condition worse. It's important to get diagnosed accurately. From what you describe you may have actual concerns of body shape and contour that is not flattering which would lead most people to consider plastic surgery. Regardless insurance will not and should not pay for surgical procedures as a treatment for body dysmorphia. Insurance should pay for medically needed treatments and should maintain cost constraints and not pay for procedures that are not warranted or medically indicated  But keeping cost constraints insurance companies work hard to make medical insurance reasonably priced. As it is medical insurance is exceedingly expensive for most Americans and we need to all take part and be responsible for making sure the monthly premiums don't become higher. You may be a good candidate for liposuction or a tummy tuck. Consider re-posting with pictures and you can get doctors opinions whether you're a good candidate for a surgical procedure but do not expect this to treat body dysmorphia. Best, Mats Hagstrom M.D.

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