PERSONAL FINANCE

CREDIT CARDS DEBT MANAGEMENT EDUCATION EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

MORTGAGES REAL ESTATE SAVINGS TAXES

The Most Expensive Plastic Surgeries

A closer look at some of the priciest, yet popular types of cosmetic surgery.

Author:: Althea Chang
Publish date:: Mar 19, 2010 7:00 AM EDT

Whether one needs them or not, plastic surgery can be pricey, yet cosmetic and reconstructive procedures are nearly as common now as they were a year ago, despite a tough economy. Facelifts and hair transplants may be the most obvious procedures, and breast augmentation is eye-catching fodder for gossip, but how often and how much it costs to surgically alter and enhance less-visible parts of the body may surprise you, especially since cosmetic procedures generally aren’t covered by health insurance plans. Photo Credit: MingH Photography

Whether one needs them or not, plastic surgery can be pricey, yet cosmetic and reconstructive procedures are nearly as common now as they were a year ago, despite a tough economy. Facelifts and hair transplants may be the most obvious procedures, and breast augmentation is eye-catching fodder for gossip, but how often and how much it costs to surgically alter and enhance less-visible parts of the body may surprise you, especially since cosmetic procedures generally aren’t covered by health insurance plans. Photo Credit: MingH Photography

There was only a 2% decrease in the number of cosmetic procedures performed from 2008 to 2009, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Notably, 90% of the procedures were on women, and most were between the ages of 35 and 50. Here are some of the most expensive procedures based on the average physician or surgeon fees according to ASAPS, plus an extra 30% that is considered a fair estimate of additional related costs. Those costs include facility fees, anesthesia and other surgical costs that vary by location, a surgeon’s experience, the time a procedure takes and where it’s performed. Of course, we’re not necessarily condoning plastic surgery; we think you’re beautiful as you are. Photo Credit: Betsssssy

What you get: Women can tighten the private parts stretched out by childbirth or simply correct unsightly or unnerving imperfections. Average surgeon’s fee: $2,689 Estimated additional costs: $807 Estimated total cost: $3,496 Photo Credit: Amanda M. Hatfield

What you get: Eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, often means removing excess fat and wrinkled upper-eyelid skin, eliminating bags under the eyes and droopy lower eyelid skin, according to ASAPS. Some eyelid surgeries involve stitching a permanent crease in those with “single eyelids” to make them look more round. Average surgeon’s fee: $2,717 Estimated additional costs: $815 Estimated total cost: $3,532 Photo Credit: mauren veras

What you get: Like all facial implants, cheek implants are intended to help shape the face in a way that can make it look younger or more proportionate, according to ASAPS. Average surgeon’s fee: $2,732 Estimated additional costs: $820 Estimated total cost: $3,552 Photo Credit: prudencebrown121

What you get: Liposuction, or suction-assisted lipectomy, involves the removal of fat from areas of the body including the abdomen, hips, thighs, calves, ankles, face and neck when changes in diet and exercise don’t help in fat reduction there. Patients with younger, more elastic skin will see the best results, ASAPS notes. Average surgeon’s fee: $2,803 Estimated additional costs: $841 Estimated total cost: $3,644 Photo Credit: Katie Tegtmeyer

What you get: Ultrasound Lipoplasty offers results similar to liposuction, but works by blasting fat cells with ultrasonic energy, turning them into liquid and making it easier to remove the fat, explains the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,095 Estimated additional costs: $929 Estimated total cost: $4,024 Photo Credit: quinn.anya

What you get: This type of surgery can involve pinning back ears that stick out, as well as reshaping ears, reducing their size or making them more symmetrical, explains the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,104 Estimated additional costs: $931 Estimated total cost: $4,035 Photo Credit: mooney47

What you get: This surgery, also known as a brow lift, raises sagging brows that can make one look tired or sad. The muscles in the forehead that cause wrinkling and frown lines can also be modified or removed, according to ASAPS. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,276 Estimated additional costs: $983 Estimated total cost: $4,259 Photo Credit: Meanest India

What you get: More men than you might expect are affected by a condition known as gynecomastia, or enlarged male breasts. In many cases, the cause is unknown, and not linked to anabolic steroids, medications with estrogen or other drug use or medical conditions, ASAPS explains. Excess tissue, fat and skin is removed in the procedure. If a bit of extra fat is the only problem, liposuction alone should work. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,294 Estimated additional costs: $988 Estimated total cost: $4,282 Photo Credit: Jake Sutton

What you get: This type of boob job involves the insertion of breast implants that contain saline, a salt water solution. These implants have been criticized by some for feeling hard and unnatural, according to the Mayo Clinic. But if the implant ruptures, the saline can be safely absorbed by the body (though you may need surgery to remove the silicone shell that holds the saline). Average surgeon’s fee: $3,541 Estimated additional costs: $1062 Estimated total cost: $4,603 Photo Credit: Nikhil Verma

What you get: Silicone implants for small or even just disproportionate breasts can be trickier. The Food and Drug Administration recommdends MRI scans every two years to monitor the implants. If one ruptures, you might not even notice until you experience breast pain or your breasts change shape, according to the Mayo Clinic. The chance of an implant rupturing is less than 1% in the three years after surgery, according to one study. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,860 Estimated additional costs: $1,158 Estimated total cost: $5,018 Photo Credit: melloveschallah

What you get: Excess fat on the underside of the upper arm is removed during this procedure. This condition can occur due to aging, weight loss or simplE genetics, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. It may fix your flabby triceps, but your surgery scars will always be visible, the foundation says. Average surgeon’s fee: $3,878 Estimated additional costs: $1,163 Estimated total cost: $5,041 Photo Credit: ~ggvic~

What you get: This procedure involves the insertion of implants under the skin of the buttocks to create a rounder, firmer appearance, according to the Web site of Dr. Constantino Mendieta, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Miami. Average surgeon’s fee: $4,200 Estimated additional costs: $1,260 Estimated total cost: $5,460 Photo Credit: techgolem

What you get: If you’re convinced that you need to fix a nose that you think is too large, wide or oddly-shaped, you’ll likely consider rhinoplasty, one of the most common plastic surgery procedures, according to ASAPS. Not all nose jobs are cosmetic, however. A deviated nasal septum can be repaired for health reasons and that’s more likely to be covered by insurance. Average surgeon’s fee: $4,493 Estimated additional costs: $1,348 Estimated total cost: $5,841 Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

What you get: A thigh lift cuts away extra skin and fat to create slimmer and “better-proportioned” legs, according to ASAPS. It can also improve the appearance of saggy, flabby and dimpled thighs. Average surgeon’s fee: $4,629 Estimated additional costs: $1,389 Estimated total cost: $6,018 Photo Credit: tata_aka_T

What you get: The buttock lift is best for those with excess fat and weakened muscles that lead to sagging skin around the buttocks and thighs. A procedure known as the Brazilian butt lift involves the removal of fat cells from other areas of the body and strategically injecting them into the buttocks to create a bit more lift. Average surgeon’s fee: $4,675 Estimated additional costs: $1,403 Estimated total cost: $6,078 Photo Credit: broken.lights

What you get: About 50% of men in America as well as some women experience hair loss, which is hereditary in many cases, and hair transplantation techniques have improved from earlier hair-plug grafts. According to ASAPS, newer, micro-hair transplant procedures use local anesthesia and are performed on an outpatient basis, but there are others types of hair transplant procedures currently being used that are more complicated as well. Average surgeon’s fee: $5,218 Estimated additional costs: $1,565 Estimated total cost: $6,783 Photo Credit: Dave Haygarth

What you get: A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, aims to make the abdomen appear more firm and smooth by excising extra abdominal skin, reducing fat and tightening abdominal wall muscles if deemed necessary. Sometimes, weakened abdominal muscles are caused by pregnancy, in which case a tummy tuck may also reduce the appearance of stretch marks, according to ASAPS. Average surgeon’s fee: $5,381 Estimated additional costs: $1,614 Estimated total cost: $6,995 Photo Credit: tornatore

What you get: Excessively large breasts can cause chronic discomfort and even pain in some women, and those with disproportionate or pendulous breasts may opt for a reduction as well, according to ASAPS. When excess breast tissue is removed, the breasts will be smaller and firmer, the organization notes. Average surgeon’s fee: $5,637 Estimated additional costs: $1,691 Estimated total cost: $7,328 Photo Credit: Ivy Dawned

What you get: A smoother, tighter face and neck is the aim of a facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy. Excess fat is removed and tissues are tightened to give subtle or dramatic results, depending on the patient’s goal. Incisions are usually hidden in the contour of the ear, around the earlobe and into the hairline and there may be another small incision hidden under the chin. Skin is then pulled up and back and extra skin is cut away, removing loose skin and deep wrinkles, according to ASAPS. Average surgeon’s fee: $6,881 Estimated additional costs: $2,064 Estimated total cost: $8,945 Photo Credit: anna-rchy

What you get: A lower body lift is meant to improve the appearance of the entire lower body by removing saggy fat and skin related to a loss of skin elasticity, according to ASAPS. The result is a tighter butt and thighs and in many cases, scars are hidden in the body’s natural creases. Average surgeon’s fee: $7,809 Estimated additional costs: $2,343 Estimated total cost: $10,162 Photo Credit: Max-B

Sex change operations, known as gender reassignment surgeries, are often much more costly procedures, but ASAPS doesn’t provide cost estimates on these. According to Fortune.com, however, they can cost between $5,000 and $150,000 depending on what kind of work is being done, who does it and where, but it’s increasingly being covered by company health plans if deemed medically necessary. Photo Credit: wonderferret

Spending a Pretty Penny

Whether one needs them or not, plastic surgery can be pricey, yet cosmetic and reconstructive procedures are nearly as common now as they were a year ago, despite a tough economy. Facelifts and hair transplants may be the most obvious procedures, and breast augmentation is eye-catching fodder for gossip, but how often and how much it costs to surgically alter and enhance less-visible parts of the body may surprise you, especially since cosmetic procedures generally aren’t covered by health insurance plans. Photo Credit: MingH Photography