What is included in the Standard Tummy Tuck? Does it include lipo or is that an additional cost?

Thanks for your inquiry.  I would call the surgeon you did the virtual consult with and ask what they mean by a standard tummy tuck. 

Whether by liposuction or direct removal, a tummy tuck should include fat reduction when necessary in the front part of the abdomen. If you need contouring farther around the back or in other areas, that would normally be an additional charge. Evaluating the thickness of the fat layer and planning this type of procedure is best done in person.

A tummy tuck is priced separately from liposuction.  If the tummy tuck fee quote includes liposuction, then the total for that is going to be higher.  Look at the prices.  Whether it is bundled in the cost and everyone pays a higher fee so that the patients that will benefit from lipo get what they pay for and everyone else is overpaying, the fees are in there.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.When comparing quotes from different doctors, check to make sure that the costs you are quoted are for the same thing! 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! Assuming you are talking about a board certified plastic surgeon with plenty of experience in abdominoplasty, you need to find someone who you trust. 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.The prices can vary from state to state, and from city to city. Our costs, including the board certified plastic surgeon's fees, board certified anesthesiologist's fees, operating room, labs, scar gel, vitamins, and follow-up at 1 day, 5 days, 7 days, 9 days, 14 days, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, and every year after that forever, are around $7400. If you need more follow-up appointments, those are free as well.

If a patient needs additional contouring of hips/flanks/back via liposuction, that is typically an additional cost, albeit a much smaller cost than the actual tummy tuck cost itself. Hope this helps!

Every surgeon does the Tummy Tuck a little differently. Do not expect any Liposuction unless you have discussed it with the surgeon and seen pictures of their patients results. I always include Liposuction of the waistline to contour the area and give the curves back. However, not all surgeons include this. Ask very specific questions at your consult and make sure you see the results you are hoping for in your figure.

Every surgeon has his/her own price fee and what is and is not included with a tummy tuck. Many surgeons do charge an additional fee for liposuction since it does involve additional time and equipment. this question will be answered during your consultation.

A tummy tuck or in medical terms, an abdominoplasty, is a procedure to contour the abdomen and hips.  There are 3 basic components to a tummy tuck:Skin removalFat removalMuscle repairSince everyone's body is shaped differently, every tummy tuck is individualized to that person.  So, there really isn't a "standard" tummy tuck procedure.  Some people have skin removal and no fat removal, some do not need the muscle repaired, etc.  The only way to know exactly what you need would be with a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who performs tummy tucks and mommy makeovers frequently.  Our consultations are free.As for the fat removal, that varies from surgeon to surgeon also.  I perform liposuction and also directly remove fat for most of my tummy tucks, whatever works best for that patient.  We do not want to ignore the "muffin top" and that is the area where liposuction is most often employed.  Good Luck!

There might be variability among Plastic Surgeons if the liposuction is done on the upper abdomen in a limited fashion. (Let me clear that not all plastic surgeons believe this should be done at all due to blood supply issues. Some do and some don't and you will need to ask your surgeon)However, I believe most plastic surgeons would not include liposuction of the love handles or other areas in the tummy tuck quote. However there is only one way to find out in your case. Ask your consultant. In fact, don't be afraid to ask any question of your surgeon. 

We perform some liposuction with tummy tuck to get a smooth contour transitioning to the hip and flank, but this practice will vary from one surgeon to another. To aviod any misunderstanding have this discussion with your sugeon up front well before your procdure.

 Thank you for the question.   Generally speaking, the “ideal” patient for tummy tuck surgery is one who has completed pregnancies, is psycho socially/emotionally/financially stable, has an excellent social support system surrounding him/her, is capable of arranging enough recovery time, does not smoke and who has reached a long-term stable weight. Generally speaking, tummy tuck surgery involves removal of “excess” skin and adipose tissue of the lower abdominal wall as well as re-approximation (plication) of the abdominal wall muscles that may have spread with pregnancy and/or weight gain/loss. Liposuctioning may also be utilized during the procedure. Patients often are "adjacent areas" such as flanks, lower back, pubic area… addressed as well. Patients considering the tummy tuck surgery should be aware of its significant recovery, both from the physical and "emotional" standpoints, sometimes underestimated by patients and their plastic surgeons. You should also learn about the potential/complications associated with the procedure. These may include deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, infection, bleeding, and even death. Fortunately, the potential for these types of major complications are very small, assuming careful selection of plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, and fully accredited surgery facility. Other types of complications that are more likely ( but still much less than 50%) include superficial incision line healing problems ( wound healing problems), seromas, abdominal wall asymmetry, abnormal scarring, unsatisfactory cosmetic result…When it comes to cost of surgery, there may be many “variables” involved. The specific surgeon's credentials/experience level (or lack thereof), the specific geographic area you are looking at, the different operations available, the location of the procedure ( quality of surgery facility), type/quality of anesthesia provider… are some of the potential variables involved.In regards to outcome of the planned procedure, more important than costs of the procedures will be careful selection of your plastic surgeon. ***Make sure that your selected plastic surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon who can demonstrate significant experience achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with. I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices concentrate on aesthetic surgery. Ask to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done.Be very careful with your decision-making. You will find, while doing your due diligence, that there are many different “specialties” who will offer their services to you; again, I strongly recommend you concentrate on surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.***I would also suggest that you do not base your selection of plastic surgeon primarily on costs of surgery; keep in mind that revisionary surgery may be more costly in many ways. I hope this, and the attached link/video, helps.Best wishes.