CosmeticSurg blog: Expert insights from Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez

We know cost is one of the biggest considerations for patients exploring tummy tuck surgery. Curious about how our abdominoplasty pricing compares locally, we surveyed plastic surgeons near and around our Baltimore office.

Average Tummy Tuck price in Baltimore $11,125

We called 9 board-certified plastic surgeons in Baltimore who perform tummy tucks. We asked questions like, ‘What is the cost of a tummy tuck?’ and ‘What is the cost if I add liposuction to the flanks?’ We included our own cost in the survey, to make it a total of 10 plastic surgeons.

Importantly, we confirmed what each office included in the ‘total cost’ to ensure an accurate, apples-to-apples comparison.

The cost of a body lift can vary significantly based on the scope of the procedure and additional expenses. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the average cost of a lower body lift surgery is $9,449, but that only covers the surgeon’s fee. It doesn’t include things like anesthesia, operating room, and other associated costs. Meanwhile, RealSelf reports an average cost of $16,425 for a body lift, with patient reviews indicating a range from $10,300 with insurance to as much as $40,000 out of pocket.

Most patients are often surprised by the choices and considerations they’re faced with when considering a Breast augmentation.

Looking at your breasts the way a doctor does can be an emotional event full of new information which may be hard to process. However, it is essential that you and your doctor are ‘on the same page’ regarding the type of implant and surgical approach that will be used.  

After the initial consultation, I prefer to see all of my patients one more time to be sure that we have answered all of the questions.

I did my first case of micro fat grafting to the face over 20 years ago. It was a patient that had acne scarring in her face. During the decade of the 90’s I had tried laser for that problem, under the theory that you could level the skin.

Frankly the results were OK, not great, because the pits were not filled. Fat grafting was used to fill the pits under the skin. The great surprise was how good the skin looked after the fat injections ! The skin became rosier, softer, and just younger looking.

There are several factors which contribute to visible breast implant rippling. The most common factors are:

1. Type implant: saline, gel silicon, or gummy bear silicone
2. Amount of coverage of the implant by your own soft tissue cover (skin, breast gland, fatty tissues)
3. How much of the implant is placed under the muscle

In summary, Laser resurfacing technologies destroy tissue (which the body repairs), while fat grafting (Fat injections) builds up and regenerates tissues.

Most lasers shoot a high energy beam which vaporizes cells, whereas fat grafting techniques mobilize teams of repair cells to bring more blood supply and nutrients to your face.

I believe that stem cell enhanced fat grafting offers an advantage to lasers currently being used by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Fat grafts are the most natural way to get a long lasting youthful rejuvenation of your face.

Let’s clarify what lip lift does first. The lip lift shortens the long space between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Some people are born with a longer space, while other people start to notice it more during the aging process.

Here are the considerations to make when planning the procedure, and the steps involved in the procedure.

Why does the butt look lifted in a BBL?

It’s all about how the eye perceives shapes. When you look at the back of a typical woman what you think is the butt is really a combination of two separate fat pockets:

1. the buttock itself
2. the flank, or “back muffin top” above the buttocks

The combination of the two fat volumes creates a visual unit. It is longer than it is wide so the butt appears to be droopy or sagging. From the side it appears there is no shelf but a long slope that makes the buttock look like it is hanging. If you eliminate the back muffin top above the buttock there are a lot of perception changes that result.

Plastic surgeons have been performing Fat grafting surgeries for over a hundred years. Patients interested in having a procedure involving fat grafting should be familiar enough with the process to ask questions during their consultation.

The success of fat grafting is highly dependent on the skill and technique of the surgeon as well as the patient’s attention to detail and instructions during post-op.

Here are 10 questions to arm yourself with prior to a consultation for any plastic surgery involving a fat transfer:

Which types of liposuction require massage post operatively?

• If the surgeon uses 5mm cannulas or laser/ultrasonic liposuction, you will need post operative massage
• If the surgeon uses thin 3mm cannulas with post operative compression garments, you should not need massage

Breast implants, including saline and silicone options, have long been the go-to choice for achieving fuller breasts . However, fat grafting has emerged as a natural alternative that utilizes your own body’s tissues for augmentation.

If you’re on a quest for fuller breasts, the choices are breast augmentation with implants or fat grafting with your own fat.

Five levels of anesthesia used in Cosmetic Surgery are:

• local anesthesia only
• local anesthesia with valium
• IV sedation moderate, also known as Twilight Anesthesia
• IV sedation with propofol- deep sedation
• General Anesthesia with a ventilator

If you’re considering Liposuction to the your love handles, saddlebags, or abdomen, familiarize yourself with the procedure and the options available to your surgeon. Know exactly how your liposuction procedure will be handled before you schedule it. Dr. Rodriguez explains what you need to know.

There are four main factors that can affect your liposuction result. Two of them have to do with the instrument used by your plastic surgeon, and the other two are related to the post op recovery period.

Recently, a patient came to me for a second opinion. She was an attractive, dark skin Hispanic female who had had Liposuction to the saddlebag area along with a tummy tuck and a breast lift. The result was great, but the patient was unhappy. She had a small waist, and a nicely defined hourglass figure. Her hips were curvy. Now why would a patient be unhappy with a ‘good’ result?

The use of IV Sedation with cosmetic surgery offers several advantages over General Anesthesia:

1. IV Sedation has less nausea than General Anesthesia
2. quicker recovery immediately following the surgery
3. dramatically reduces the risk of pulmonary embolism which is a major concern with General Anesthesia