Why would a lower face lift cost $30,000?

$30,000 for a lower facelift does seem like a very high price. Some people do travel for surgery looking for a plastic surgeon with extensive experience and superior credentials. Typically, you can get a price range over the phone before making a trip for a surgery consultation. Recently, my office has been receiving questions about elite credentials. The following are a few things that can distinguish some surgeons from others1) Graduating from a top tier medical school at the top of their class. 2) Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. THis is the medical honors society. Alpha Omega Alpha is to medicine what Phi Beta Kappa is to letters 3) Formal surgical training from prestigious medical universities. The minimum number of years of surgical training for plastic surgeons to be bord certified in five years. Some physicians have as many as ten years of formal surgical training. There simply is no substitute for stelar academic and practical surgical training.  4) Very experienced surgeons with meticulous surgical technique and natural looking outcomes will have photgraphic evidence of their work. Patients should be able to view many photos of the surgery of interest, photgraphed from three different perspectives all with similar lighting, distance from the camera and croppingThe elite experience extends beyond the surgeon to the facility, and the surgical team. You should be able to see the surgical theater and know who else will be in the OR with you during surgery. The Joint Commission (JCAHO) is an organization that provides certification to hospital OR's. The Joint Commission and AAAASF are two of the organizations that can provide certification to surgical suites. Some plastic surgeons elect to have their surgery centers dually certified.The anesthesia experience is critical to a safe and comfortable surgical experience. A board certified anesthesiologist can administer general or MAC anesthesia. My preference is to have a board-certified anesthesiologist at the bedside of my patients for the duration of surgery.Plastic surgeons who cater to high profile individuals who place a high value on privacy will have a private first floor entrance and exit so patients never need to be in a public lobby or elevator for pre-operative or post operative visits.

Cost factors vary significantly for a number of good reasons: Prices vary greatly because the surgery itself encompasses a wide range of techniques that can be performed to different extents. My recommendation is to first find the most qualified surgeons where you want the surgery performed that are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery you trust, then compare prices between them. See the below link on suggestions on how to find the most qualified plastic surgeon for your procedure. General Factors that influence the price of plastic surgery include:
1. Location - Will it be performed in a hospital with an overnight stay, an independent out- patient facility or a doctor’s office? Geographical location also has a significant influence. RealSelf has average charges for most areas of the USA.
2. Type of Anesthesia - local, IV sedation or General Anesthesia? Will a board certified anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, or an RN be used?            3. Experience and training of your surgeon. The best and longest trained is most often a plastic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery           4. Length and Complexity of Surgery - how difficult will your surgery be and how long it will take, etc. Will other complementary procedures also be also performed during the same surgery?

Cosmetic surgery prices vary based on a variety of factors, such as the specific plastic surgeon, geographic location, and duration/complexity of the surgery. Theoretically, a plastic surgeon can charge any price for cosmetic procedures. However, looking at this website you can see than most facelift patients are typically not being charged such fees for a lower facelift. Best,Dr. Chaboki

I am shocked also if it is only a facelift. Obvious answer is get other consultations and I think you could find very competent surgeons closer to home. 

I know of  no facial plastic or plastic surgeons that charge $30,000 for a facelift. The cost seems exorbitant to me. I suppose if the doctor is the most sought after surgeon in a large market, that is possible. But be aware you can certainly get an excellent operation elsewhere at a much lower cost. If I were you, I'd keep looking best of luck.

That seems like a very unusual price for a lower face lift and especially for a lower facelift in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Perhaps you would be better served by having your face evaluated by a different surgeon and make sure your surgeon is board certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

We have never heard of a lower facelift costing 30,000  dollars. It is important to go to a physician with lots of  experience who can perform a very natural  looking facelift. For many examples and our  price list which is significantly lower, please see the link and the video below

I am very surprised of that cost. Even if including the eyelids and brow, that is a high number. But NYC is NYC and maybe they can get that price. I would search in your area or other than NYC for another surgeon and get a consultation there. 

 There are many Facelift Surgeons, none of which will perform the Facelift exactly the same.  What you are getting with plastic & cosmetic surgery is the artistic expression of surgery through your Facelift Surgeon's skill, training and experience.  The most important aspect in choosing your Facelift Surgeon should be his/her aesthetic judgement as this dictates what aesthetically will be done to your face in order to achieve a naturally more youthful and attractive appearance.  Hope this helps.

The price quoted does sound like a lot for a "lower facelift" even in NYC. However, you gave no specifics.The word facelift means different things to different people. The word Facelift itself in its restricted form refers to correction of the lower face and neck. Even this has several permutations depending on your age and the amount of sagging of the tissues. What some people mean by a "facelift" is correction of the lower face and neck that can include significant correction of the central neck and muscles, the mid-face, the upper and lower eyelids and the brow. If all this is to be done, then the quoted price is not that extravagant, especially if it includes the accredited surgical center and anesthesia. Make sure you know exactly what is included in the quote.