Standard Practice To Charge For Dog Ears Removal?

Contrary to what some may think, it is possible to do abdominoplasties without producing dog ears.

I have not had to revise an abdominal dog ear in at least 15 years.

The policy in my practice regarding revisions is to charge the least amount, and not to charge at all if possible.

I never, ever charge a professional fee for revisions.

Good luck!

 

This happens on occasion with abdominoplasty. There are options. A completely non invasive option would be CoolSculpting. This can freeze the fat and deliver an improved contour. More traditional options are some liposuction, or resection of skin/soft tissue. This is a much smaller procedure than the original surgery and is usually well tolerated. The cost will depend on the extent of the surgery, the method used, the cost of the surgery center, and if the original surgeon is doing it. Please speak with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Together, you will figure out a plan.

Each practice had their own policies when it comes to revisions after surgery. It is not uncommon for a patient to have dog ears after a tummy tuck. Most of the time, the excision can be done under local and is very minor. In our practice, we charge a fee of $100 for supplies. Should the patient need to go back into surgery, then they would be subject to facility and anesthesia charges again but this rarely happens.

Dog ears are simply the named used to describe the extra skin on the ends of surgical scars. They occur most commonly after tummy tucks and breast reduction/lift procedures. It is usually the result of the surgeon trying to keep the scar to the minimum and the skin just doesn't co-operate in its shrinking after surgery. They are usually small and removal is usually not a big deal and can be done under just a local anesthetic in the office. If the original procedure was covered by an insurance policy, like a breast reduction, than usually the excision is also covered as a type of scar revision since it is related to the original problem. If the original surgery was cosmetic usually the surgeon's fee is waived but there might be a small facility fee (on the order of $200-300) to cover supplies, staff, etc.. Discuss it with your surgeon at your next visit. Hope this helps.

I don't charge for dog ear removal or revisions of incisions after a procedure. If, however, a procedure was done elsewhere then there is a charge. Check with your surgeon to discuss his or her policy. Hopefully, this was discussed before surgery.

The persistence of raised tissue at the end(s) of an incision is not an uncommon phenomenon nor are their existence the result of non-ideal planning. In general, they are often the result of the desire to try to minimize the overall length of the incision for a particular surgical procedure which in your situation is a tummy tuck.

Every plastic surgeon has their own policies regarding the treatment of dog ears. Some physicians do charge to do the revision though it may just include supplies. My personal philosophy is to never charge for their treatment and this includes not only my and my office staff's time but all supplies. These revisions can virtually always (for my patients - always) be performed in the office using local anesthesia with no real effective down time. This is standing behind your work and patients appreciate it.

I think every plastic surgeon has his or her own policy.  Hopefully that was outlined clearly for you before your surgery to avoid any misunderstanding.  I usually do not charge anything for dog ear removal in the office.  If you require OR then the patient pays a small revision facility fee but nothing to me.  I am almost positive that going to  a different plastic surgeon would cost even more than going back to your original one.  Best of luck to you. 

Dog ears are quite common after tummy tuck surgery.  Each office procedure for payment is different.  This can normally be performed under local anesthesia and the recovery is not too bad.  Sometimes you may get charged for the supplies used for the procedure.  Have a discussion with your surgeon

I do not believed there is a standard practice among plastic surgeons in charging for dog ear removal. I do this on a case by case basis.  All plastic  surgeons try to avoid dog ears after tummy tucks but this is not always possible particularly in heavy patients with large hip rolls as the incision can only be extended so far without repositioning them. I try to identify this patient  before hand to inform them of this problem. Small dog ears are revised in office for a small tray charge.

We make our best effort to avoid "dog ears" after a tummy tuck while limiting scar length, but as the tissues settle post-op, dog-ears may require removal. This is more likely in large tummy tucks and in people with poor skin elasticity.

As a minor touch-up procedure, we typically will remove the dog ears with local anesthetic. There is no significant recovery time.

Practices my differ on whether there is a charge for supplies (a "tray charge" for sutures and other disposables). Best to discuss with your surgeon.