Tummy tuck can be safely done in healthy patients by a board-certified plastic surgeon at an accredited outpatient surgery facility. My personal practice, however, is to do these at small, private speciality hospitals which are common here in Houston. A small hopsital offera a higher level of care (24-hr doctor in house, plus x-ray and lab facilities) and at least in my area, they are very competitive in pricing. Again, my practice is focused on larger breast and body procedures and I do a lot of combination procedures. So in my practice, a small hospital makes the most sense.
Most tummy tucks are done on an outpatient basis. The most important things to consider from a safety aspect are choosing an experienced plastic surgeon who has hospital privileges for abdominoplasty, and an accredited facility.
