Plastic surgery Body enhancement articles

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.

Discover the benefits of an extended tummy tuck, which offers more extensive body contouring by addressing lose skin in the abdomen, flanks, hips, and lower back. Compare it with other tummy tuck variations to see which is right for you.

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.

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

As with any surgery, the body lift comes with possible complications and potential revisions as it lifts and tightens the entire lower part of the body. The good news is that most complications are relatively minor and can be handled post operatively in the office setting.

In general, possible complications from the Body Lift procedure include: fluid accumulation, hematoma, seroma, infection, poor wound healing (wound separation), asymmetry, unfavorable scarring, numbness or other changes in skin sensation, fat necrosis and deep vein thrombosis (primarily associated with General Anesthesia).

Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, plays a big role in surgical complication risk assessment. All cosmetic surgery patients should have a BMI assessment prior to surgery. The BMI is a number that compares your weight to your height. High BMI’s create higher surgical risks.

Patients with a BMI less than 35 are typically good candidates for the Tummy Tuck and BBL. However, every surgeon has a different guideline for what is the acceptable BMI for an elective surgery.

Patients routinely get fat grafts to the face, breast, and buttocks. However, some patients do not get the result they wanted because the fat graft did not ‘take.’  So, what happened? Why do fat grafts sometimes die or fail to take? In this post, I will explain one of the most important factors in creating a long-lasting fat graft. When the recipient tissue is normal, there really should be no need for a touch-up, or revision. Plastic surgeons have all of the tools they need to create a good fat graft on the first try!

If you are considering a Tummy Tuck you should find out exactly where the surgeon will place the incisions.  The incision will determine what the scar looks like. Two types of incisions are made for the Tummy tuck: 1) horizontal and 2) belly button. The horizontal incision should be as low as possible ,and the belly button incision should be more similar to an inverted “U”. 

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.

Following a Liposuction or Tummy Tuck procedure, the wearing of a compression garment should be a mandatory part of your post operative instructions. A medical grade compression garment will not only help give you smooth surgical results, but it can also eliminate the need for drains following a Liposuction procedure.

The Mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures done at the same time to address the changes in the body after pregnancy. Each Mommy makeover is customized to your concerns. However, the Mommy makeover should address 3 main issues: the breast , stomach, and upper body changes.

The most common question we get about Tummy Tuck recovery in my Baltimore practice is ‘How much time off work do I need?’ The answer is 2-3 weeks. If you have an office job, you can resume WFH computer type work in week 3. You can go into work in week 3, but no driving until the end of week 3. 

Very often a patient will ask me ” How much fat do you take out during Liposuction?”. The answer is dependent on two things: 1. liposuction area 2. patient height and weight Therefore, to answer the question, I will give my answers for a body frame type that I see most frequently. We’ll use as an example a woman of average height (5’3”-5’6”) who weighs about 150 pounds.

Many patients are afraid of the Tummy tuck procedure because they have seen friends’ scars or pictures of scars on the internet. Some patients including Hispanic, Asians, or African Americans think they are bound to get thick scars simply based on their ethnic background. This is just not so. Thick or unsightly scars following abdominoplasty can be easily avoided. In addition , your incision can be placed well below the panty line.

There have been several comments recently on one of my previous blog posts about Tummy tuck swelling. While swelling is a definite concern, it’s only one of the possible complications following Abdominoplasty. Other complications can include infection, wound separation, and fluid collections. Be sure to discuss these things with your plastic surgeon prior to your surgery.