Counting Liposuction Areas? Does it Vary Among Doctors?

Dear MsBodyCouture  in InMySkin,

Every plastic surgeon has their own method of defining the areas that will be treated.  In our office, we have four plastic surgeons each with their own system but strangely enough, when we calculate the costs to the patient, we are usually very close despite one partner claiming 4 areas and the other 8.  That's because we really base the charges on the amount of time we think it will take to treat the patient.

Just to use your example, I do not separate upper and lower abdomen and waist and love handles/ flanks and lower back go together.  So I would have state you had 5 areas to treat.  But even then, some patients have lots of fatty tissue to treat and others just a bit so the pricing would be different.

Make sure your doctor is a plastic surgeon who is board certified and works in an accredited surgery center or  hospital.  If you have any questions about the area definitions and their counting system, ask them and they should be able to explain it to you.  Hope this helps and best of luck.

Yes you would be accurate in counting 8 areas by most docs but it is the size of the areas and the amount of work estimated that determines the price.  With that many areas, even if you are thin, it would have to be done in at least 2 procedures minimum or if you are large then 3 procedures at a cost estimate of $5-6000 per procedure on special. Don't go for the cheapy lipo mills out there or the gimmicky laser, ultrasound, freezing, melting etc...lipo jobs since they tend to have the worst results such as dimpling, skin discolorations, puckering and overall unhappy patients. You tend to get what you pay for in liposuction. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD