I received a quote from a surgeon in Mexico less than half of ours from a patient this week. She was not haggling; she simply wanted to know where the difference lay. She was right to ask, however, and deserved a real answer, not a defensive one.
The Numbers and the Content
Our price for a tummy tuck begins at $16,000 and extends to $26,000, genuinely all-inclusive: surgeon’s fee, facility fee, anesthesia, garments, and the preoperative and postoperative package, SinEcch for bruising, Skinuva scar cream, a skin moisturizer, and Exparel for extended pain relief, among other items. In addition to every session of drainage therapy and postoperative examination, we include, if necessary, even a BBL cushion. The sole exception is that you must claim your prescriptions.
When you see a quote that is half of that price, something in that list is lacking. It is time to ask what is there. How do all these quotes vary so much?
Why the Number Isn’t the Same Everywhere
Location differs, and overhead in one city versus another. One factor is how much a surgeon is in demand and indeed how complicated the specific case is; this takes into account combinations and expected time. There is a wide difference.
The Type of Tuck Changes the Math
The calculation changes with the kind of tuck. Mini tummy tuck patients do not have as much loose skin. It is a quicker operation and involves a C-section or equivalent incision length being determined, while the excision of surplus tissue within a standard abdominoplasty requires more effort and skill. The incision of an extended tummy tuck extends as far as the hips where the abdominal fold begins to extend over the buttocks. The full circumferential procedure, however, for overall looseness with a sag, is the longest and most comprehensive of the four, adding an increasingly large charge depending on the duration.
Where the Real Savings Show Up
These actual savings can be gained during an abdominal tuck with liposuction combined with a mommy makeover. In this particular case, each operation is included under a single fee in one cost-effective payment; this also allows for just one dosage of anesthesia.
The tummy tuck alone dictates the time for recovery whether combined with other procedures or not. From the time of surgery to return to activity takes up to two weeks and up to six weeks before the patient, as shown above, resumes heavy exercise, even with an additional procedure combined.
How Patients Actually Pay for This
PatientFi, AlphaEon, Cherry, CareCredit, or financing directly through the practice, as well as the major credit cards, cash, or financing through an outside bank, are all accepted, so terms of payment for the surgery ahead can work around whatever schedule you need.
The Part I Actually Want to Warn You About
However, this one piece of warning will suffice to warn you of a risk. I perform abdominoplasty revisions on numerous patients every year, after operations previously completed elsewhere, at times across borders in countries such as Mexico which charge less than what it takes. The price of rectifying a botched abdominoplasty can go beyond anything the original surgery charged, while the outcome usually cannot surpass what could have been achieved if it were done correctly the first time.
Check what has been cut in a quote that seems too good to be true: the surgeon’s training, the facility’s certifications, or the anesthesia used. A deal that demands a revision later, on top of the financial and health cost of that revision, is not a bargain at all.
Why I Price It This Way
As a Mayo Clinic fellowship-trained, double board-certified plastic surgeon and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for thirteen consecutive years, I would rather be transparent about what’s in the number than let a patient find out what’s missing after the fact. An exact quote can only be given after a consultation, but the starting range and what’s included in it are not a secret. For the complete breakdown, see the full guide on agulloplasticsurgery.com.
Ready to Talk?
Bring your quote. I’ll tell you exactly what’s different about ours.
Call (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or book online at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful
@RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.
Cross-links
- Full guide on agulloplasticsurgery.com: “What a Tummy Tuck Actually Costs in El Paso (And What Moves the Number)” (canonical)
- Med spa side on swplasticsurgery.com: “What a Tummy Tuck Costs at Southwest Plastic Surgery” (link once live)
