PS advice?

I consulted with a prominent Dallas plastic surgeon two days ago.  I am HATING all this excess, saggy skin.  I know many of you can relate.

This plastic surgeon is recommended by my WLS surgeon and has plenty of post-bariatric surgery experience.  Here are the prices he quoted me:

Neck/face lift + breast lift:
Surgeon's fees = 8850 (7150 for neck/face, 1700 for BL)
Hospital = 1763 (includes overnight stay)
Anesthesiologist = 1550
Total = 12,163

Tummy tuck + arm lift + thigh lift:
Surgeon's fees = 6700 (3400 for TT, 1650 for AL, 1650 for TL)
Hospital = 2195 (includes overnight stay)
Anesthesiologist = 1500
Total = 10,395

Are these prices in line with what you guys have paid?  Did you negotiate prices with your plastic surgeon?  I am thinking of asking for a 25% discount on the surgeon's and anesthesiologists' fees in exchange for committing to all of the procedures ... there IS a recession on, after all.

I was leery of the idea of doing arms, thighs, and tummy at the same time, but he said my weight is now close enough to the normal range that the surgery will not involve undue risk, and at my age (44), recovery will not be as arduous as it would be for an older person.  He said I should be fully functional two weeks later.  Do you guys agree with that?

Thanks for any advice you have to offer.

Sometimes it's hard to compare, but here is what I was quoted:

This was my order of importance...

Stage 1:  arm lift and lipo on thighs:  $5500

Stage 2:  Lower Body Lift:  $10,000

Stage 3:  Breast Lift:  $6000

I also need a thigh lift and facelift, but those would be waaaaayyyyy down the line for me.

Laura

Thanks Laura.  Do the prices you were quoted include hospital and anesthesiologist, or are they just the surgeon's fee?

The prices I was quoted include everything.

Lorelei,

OT but glad I saw your post about talking to our doc.  Need to find out when my next appt. is?  Have misplaced my reminder card!

 SOunds pretty reasonable to me .....I had a LBL over 2  yrs ago and then lipo to my tummy 1 yr ago and paid $13000 cash.   So the prices you have sound almost too reasonable for several procedures done at one time.


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

 Dr. Kuster in Brazil does great work, and his charges (total med charges) would be:

  $4,250 for TT, $2,760 for arm lift, $2,880 for inner thigh lift;   neck lift is $2,300, face lift $3,450 and breast lift $3,220   (an LBL is about $5,500, btw)   You should allow about $1K or so for airfare, and the hotel is about $100 per night.    So, the total charges seem to be about equal to your surgeon, which is dang good.

 I don't know how negotiable PS's prices are in the U.S., but Dr. K. does give a discount for each additional procedure done at the same time ..   

I had a tummy tuck with breast lift and paid 10,300 for everything but I got a discount cuz I'm a nurse. Normal price would of been about 12K.  From everyone one I know that's had it done, they say don't do the thighs and arms at the same time. I can't imagine having done the thighs at the same time as the tummy, it would of been too hard to get out of bed.

Lorelei, I had an anchor cut tummy tuck, arm lift and breast lift with implants.  One night in the hospital and the cost was $17,200.

I did get other prices from two other plastic surgeons with "similiar" prices, one slightly lower and one a couple grand higher.

Those prices seem reasonable to me.  Especially the TT, Arm Lift and Thigh Lift.  My surgeon did give a 15% discount on his cost for the combined procedures.

Edited to add:  I took off work for two weeks for my combined procedures.  The recovery wasn't bad at all, the toughest part was the emotions I went through post-PS.  I HATE pain meds and the way it makes me feel, after 2 days I quit them except for one pain med at bedtime for 3 more days.

I agree with Steph on NOT doing the arms at the same time you do the thighs.  When you do thighs, you will be using your arms to help you up anytime you have to get up, either out of a chair, off the potty, etc.  If you can't put too much pressure on your arms, then you need to use your own leg muscles to hoist yourself up.  If those are tryiing to heal, too, you might be stuck there in whatever position you are in, or, may pop a stitch trying to get up.  I had a circumferential lower body lift and tooshie augmentation all at once.  There is NO WAY I would handled having arms done at the same time!!!  Even if you have to do it over 2-3 different procedures, you want to make sure it is all done with your best interest at heart for optimum healing.  I'll be having my thighs done in January but that is ALL Dr. L. is working on aside of a few touch ups to the LBL.  I had my LBL done at 41 yrs. old and didn't have any huge risk factors either.  My parents were here and took over the household/mommy duties for my three girls.  They had to leave at nearly 2.5 weeks post op.  By 3 wks post op I had to be ok to walk my daughter to the bus stop which I could do, but I was definitely moving slower.  "Fully functional" ... well, I don't know about that.  Guess it depends upon what a person defines that as!!!  Just be careful girl, plastics takes a lot out of ya'!