How much does a tummy tuck and mini tummy tuck cost?

As middle age creeps up on you, the washboard abdomen of your dreams turns to jelly. And it may not be just bad dietary habits and lack of exercise alone, time, gravity and pregnancies also do take their toll. Face it; the folds of skin hanging from your middle do look obnoxious and prompt you to do something about them. The good news is you can get rid of them easily by investing in abdominoplasty or tummy tuck abdominal surgery.

Understanding tummy tuck procedure

Since a tummy tuck surgery is meant to make you look good and feel good about yourself, it’s basically a cosmetic procedure and not a life saving one, unless you equate good looks with your dear life! So, choosing an excellent surgeon is important, and here an average one won’t do. After all you don’t want to get scarred for life through a cheap tummy tuck.

Basically in this procedure, the surgeon removes the excess skin and fat from your middle and lower abdomen, and tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall. This involves major surgery and, if performed correctly, can once again give you your dream abs. Since, abdominoplasty is almost body sculpting, the skills of the surgeon varies and so does tummy tuck prices.

Tummy tuck cost

The cost of surgery depends on the problem and complexity of the surgical sculpture. When calculating the cost of liposuction and tummy tuck, you’ll need to consider several additional costs too. There’s a facility fee and anesthetist charges depending upon where the surgery is being performed, in the office or the hospital operating room. Post surgery care and medication is also required to be taken into account.

The cost depends upon the type of surgery being performed. Depending upon the severity of the case, there are two types of tummy tuck procedures – the mini-tuck abdomioplasty and the standard tummy tuck abdomioplasty. Let’s see what they are and what they cost:

a. Mini-tummy tuck abdominoplasty: Limited incision abdominoplasty includes many techniques, one of which is mini-tuck abdominoplasty. This procedure is basically for contour problems and not for loose skin, for which standard abdominoplasty is recommended. It can include liposuction contouring, limited skin excision sculpting tissue below the belly button, tightening of the lower part of the abdominal rectus muscles, tightening of the upper part of the abdominal rectus muscles and slight adjustment of the skin above the belly button. Surgery can also involve more extensive sculpture of the abdominal muscle wall. The cost of mini tummy tuck ranges from $2,500 to $3,000. b. Standard abdominoplasty: There are many possible problems that can be improved with a standard tummy tuck surgery tailored to specific problem. This procedure can make major changes for the abdominal wall and restore drooping stomach wall tissues, giving a more youthful appearance to the abdomen. It can also remove localized fat and tighten loose skin and lax muscles. Little wonder abdominoplasty can make you feel much better about yourself. Of course, the cost for this procedure is much more than that of a mini-tuck and can range from $3,500 to $5,000. For removing the stretch marks and stretched out skin after pregnancy, the prices could be in the neighborhood of $6,000 to $8,000.

The prices mentioned are the average costs of tummy tuck, as the surgery depends upon the skill of the surgeon and the severity of the case. However, it’s a small price to pay, if you don’t want to explore tummy tuck alternatives, but still want to restore your self esteem and regain your youthful without lifting a finger!