Do you save money by combining procedures?

Question

I want to get a chin implant and a nose job, but I'm low on funds. I would split up the procedures because having a nose job now and waiting until I can afford a chin implant would be better than waiting longer for both, but a friend told me that I would probably be paying for the cost of anesthesia twice--is this true? Would the total cost of a nose job and chin implant be cheaper than the cost of an individual nose job and an individual chin implant? If so, how different would the cost be?

Michelle Spring, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi there, great question!  Combining surgeries can save you money and recovery time.  Both procedures you are interested in are commonly done together.  The difference in cost is variable though depending on the surgeon, the surgical center as well as your geographical location.  Please find a board certified plastic surgeon for a consultation.  After the consultation, you can request price quotes that combine the procedures as well as individual quotes, this will give you a better idea of cost difference.  Good luck!Best wishes, Dr. Michelle Spring

Tom S. Liu, MD, MBA · Answer

When a patient is interested in multiple cosmetic procedures, it can be beneficial to combine the procedures in one operation. As long as the patient is in overall good health and it is safe to perform all the procedures at once, it would be most likely recommended to do so by the surgeon. The patient would be responsible for less in facility and anesthesia fees. The difference in cost depends on the duration of the surgery, the facility in which the procedures are performed, and the anesthesia group. Consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon near you for an accurate comparison of the procedures done alone and together. Good luck in your research!

Afshin Parhiscar, MD · Answer

Dear R.nicholasYou are correct that in general, you can save by combining procedures. As long as the surgeries  are approximately less than 5 hours long and don't negatively impact each other, combing procedures can also save you in time for recovery and time off work. Nose and chin are often done together and are an excellent combination of procedures.

Michael R. Macdonald, MD · Answer

You can save money when it comes to facility fees and anesthesia.  Instead of having to pay new facility fees and new anesthesia fees for separate procedures, you are simply adding time to the day.  You can save a significant amount of money by combining procedures depending on where the surgery is done, and under what type of anesthesia.  The other added benefit, is that you recover at the same time rather than going through recovery multiple times.  It's something to consider.  Good luck and be well!

Miguel Mascaro, MD · Answer

Great question, and, to be honest, it may be physician dependent.  Your friend is correct - usually, if you have to go to the operating room, you have to pay operating room fees (otherwise known as facility fees) as well as anesthesia fees.  Such that if you were going to do two procedures, that cost would double.  However, if your doc has his operating room on-site, things change, particularly when you are talking about a chin implant.  At our office we routine do chin implants under local anesthesia as we have two fully-accredited operating rooms on site.  That being said, every office has different policies and is different - so it may be worthwhile bringing this up with your docs during the consultation process. Best of luck!

William Portuese, MD · Answer

In most cases, it is less expensive to perform both procedures  under one anesthesia than two different anesthetics. A rhinoplasty and chin implant procedure can be performed together under general anesthesia as an outpatient surgical procedure. A rhinoplasty can be performed as a standalone procedure under general anesthesia, however  a chin implant can be performed under local  anesthesia. For more information, many examples and our current price list, please see the link and the video below

Michael T. Somenek, MD · Answer

Having both procedures done simultaneously can certainly be cost effective because you are not paying for two separate facility and anesthesia fees. Additionally, you are not setting aside two separate recoveries.

Andrew Winkler, MD · Answer

There are several benefits to combining procedures, if possible.  A primary advantage is cost savings.  There will often be a reduction in anesthesia charge.  The most expensive parts of the procedure are at the beginning and end. While the total length of a combined procedure may be the same, there will be 1 less 'beginning' and 1 less 'end.' In addition, often the surgeon will offer a reduction on the surgeon's fees if the patient schedules more than one procedure. The surgeon has an incentive to do so because it cuts down on unused, unscheduled OR time.

Another advantage to combining procedures is that the recovery periods are combined. By doing both procedures at once, you are able to recover simultaneously from both.  Finally, there is a theoretical advantage to combining surgeries in that you are exposed to anesthesia one time instead of two (or three or four...).  That said, anesthesia is exceptionally safe when performed by qualified professionals.  Therefore, the advantage from minimizing the number of procedures is fairly minimal from that standpoint.

I hope you find this information useful. Good luck!

Kyle T. Yamamoto, MD · Answer

In general, combining two procedures into one surgery is cheaper.  Consider that when you are paying for anesthesia time, this includes the time that it takes to safely put you to sleep with medication and wake you up after the surgery is over.  This can add an additional 15-45 minutes of time that does not include the time your surgeon is actually working on you.  If you split the nose job and chin implant procedures, you will be paying for this anesthesia time twice.  In addition, a facility fee also exists for each time you go to the OR.  You would also pay for this fee twice.

In addition, your surgeon may give you an overall better fee if you combine certain procedures together.  This is, however, surgeon dependent.

Finally, the biggest benefit is that you only have one recovery period for both procedures if done together.  This minimizes your down time as well as your time away from work and your family and friends.

Talk candidly with your surgeon about your concerns over the cost.  This will help you make the best decision in terms of both your surgery and your wallet.

Best of luck!

Gina Chu, MD · Answer

Dear rnicholas, You will probably save money having both procedures done at the same time. You're friend is right in that you will have to pay anesthesia fees both times if you split up the surgeries. You may be paying a little more in anesthesia fees if you break the procedures. You should consult with with your surgeon regarding cost of the surgeon fee for doing rhinoplasty and chin implant together. Most surgeons do discount a small amount if you do multiple procedures the same day. Best of luck!

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