Paid for Procedure Cash, Changed my Mind, Can I Get a Refund?

Surely you'll see some, but unlikely all of your money back.  Sorry to hear that you got spooked but it happens.

Every office has their own policy and you should have read it before signing..  Typically, a non-refundable amount is required to schedule the surgery.  Some offices also do not refund the whole amount if surgery is canceled too close to the surgery date, as it causes disruption in the office and surgery center schedule.

I recommend discussing your fears with the office.  They may or may not refund the whole amount.  Even if they don't , it is better to walk away with some loss than to go through the surgery if you are regretting it. Breast augmentation surgery is ELECTIVE surgery, and you should not be forced into doing it.

Refunds for canceled elective procedures differ for each plastic surgeon. When surgery is scheduled, the financial agreement is discussed including the terms of refund. The time that is set aside for surgery blocks off  the operating room, the anesthesiologists time, and our surgical time.  If that surgery is canceled at the last minute, it can be impossible to fill that time slot and affects not only the surgeon, but the anesthesiologist and the facility. The sooner you contact your surgeon, the more likely they will be able to fill up that time slot and refund you a portion or all of your money.

Every office has their own policy.  Most will have this written on a form that you signed at some point during your consultation or preop visit. 

Your intense feelings of anxiety before cosmetic surgery are not rare and you are not the first patient who has  decided right before surgery that this procedure is not for you at this time. Most plastic surgery practices have refund policies based on how soon before the surgery you want to cancel. At this 'late date', it is likely that there would be some slight fee for blocking out the reserved time but it certainly wouldn't be the majority of your money. Call the practice immediately and they will appraise of their refund policy which is also in the ream of paperwork that you would have received in signing up for the breast augmentation procedure.

The answer to your question about a refund and the amount would depend on the office policy of the plastic surgeon with whom you scheduled. Some may retain a small amount as a booking fee or for other costs. Given that you were just seen and are terrified, it may be possible that you can get back the entire amount.

You need to call your plastic surgeon ASAP and explain the situation and maybe it will be resolved to your complete satisfaction.

Good luck.

The policies regarding the refund is different for each practice. Your surgeon may keep part of the fee for the time that is taken to do the pre op and also blocking the OR  and surgeons time.

Your pre-operative anxiety is perfectly normal.  You may want to discuss this with your surgeon before you make any final decisions.

Many patients develop some level of worries prior to surgery.  I often discuss the individual worries with the patient when this occurs- it seems that this often is all it takes. 

I hope this helped,

Sergio Pasquale Maggi, M.D.

Austin Plastic Surgery Center 

Every doctor's office is different. You should contact your doctor and see what the policy is. You may also want to go back in and talk with the doctor about the surgery itself. It is normal to be nervous.

Every doctor has a policy spelled out for their cancellation.  Some will give a variable amount of a refund as our time is a valuable commodity.  There are other expenses involved such as staffing and anesthesia.  I would suggest you call your doctors office immediately to discuss this problem.  Sometimes it is just "stage fright" while other times the doctor may keep a certain portion in your account to use towards future surgery.