reconstructive surgery Archives - Tarola Plastic Surgery

Is plastic surgery covered by insurance?

One question we receive nearly 100% of the time when meeting with new clients is “will my insurance cover this procedure?” The short answer to that question is both yes AND no. Cosmetic procedures are a no, reconstructive procedures are a yes.

When the plastic surgery procedure is being performed for cosmetic reasons, insurance will not be involved. However, when the surgery is necessary for reconstructive purposes, insurance may partially or fully cover the procedure. Plastic surgery procedures that may be covered by insurance often include breast reconstructive (after a masectomy), tummy tuck surgery (for gastric bypass patients) and eyelid surgery (to correct vision problems).

Kick the smoking habit before your procedure

Did you know that smoking can impede the healing process after a plastic surgery procedure? That’s right, for the best possible outcome after your surgery it’s best to kick the habit to the curb. Surgeons at the University of Texas found that women smokers who underwent breast reconstruction after cancer surgery had higher rates of necrosis – tissue death – at the edges of the skin flaps near the wound site. Toxins in cigarette smoke impede wound healing and also have an adverse effect on the circulation. Any operation where there is injury to large flaps of skin poses a problem to smokers, because wound healing could be impeded.

At Tarola Plastic Surgery we’d advise to give up smoking for at least four (4) weeks after your surgery to help minimize complications. In some cases, since such operations are not usually medical emergencies, doctors may even refuse to go ahead with the surgery until the patient quits smoking.

What are my options if I’m not satisfied with the outcome of my procedure?

This can vary tremendously depending on the circumstance. For example, it can depend on whether the surgery was covered by insurance or completely cosmetic with money out-of-pocket. It also depends on why the patient is dissatisfied. With cosmetic procedures, surgeons will often not charge for any revisions necessary to repair or correct a complication. However, the patient may incur additional facility or anesthesia fees. These issues are dealt with on a case by case basis but we usually try to accommodate our patients to the best of our ability.

Can I finance my plastic surgery procedure?

Currently we accept cash, check, Visa, Mastercard or Discover as methods of payment. We do not offer financing of procedures at the moment. However, we do accept CareCredit which works like a “medical credit card” that can be used for a number of cosmetic procedures including cosmetic surgery, BOTOX, fillers, skin care products and more. More information about CareCredit can be found on their website here.

There are also many other lenders that are available who offer financing for certain medical procedures. You can obtain more information during your consultation with Dr. Tarola or contact us at 615-624-8914.

14.6 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2012

Courtesy of PlasticSurgery.org

Minimally-Invasive, Facial Rejuvenation Procedures Fuel 5% Growth

As economic indicators such as auto, retail, and home sales saw gains in 2012 – so too did plastic surgery. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 14.6 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States in 2012, up 5 percent since 2011. In addition, 5.6 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 1 percent.

“Our annual statistics serve as a snapshot regarding the plastic surgery industry,” said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic surgery continues to be driven by a significant rise in minimally-invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable. We are aware, however, that patients who begin with less invasive treatments with a plastic surgeon may opt for more invasive, surgical procedures once required.”

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, with more than 13 million procedures in 2012. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

Botulinum toxin type A (6.1 million procedures, up 8 percent)
Soft tissue fillers (2 million procedures, up 5 percent)
Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, up 2 percent)
Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 4 percent)
Microdermabrasion (974,000 procedures, up 8 percent)

Cosmetic surgical procedures decreased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2012. The top five surgical procedures were:

Breast augmentation (286,000 procedures, down 7 percent)
Nose reshaping (243,000 procedures, no change)
Liposuction (202,000 procedures, down 1 percent)
Eyelid surgery (204,000 procedures, up 4 percent)
Facelift (126,000 procedures, up 6 percent)

About Face
Interestingly, facial rejuvenation procedures, both surgical and minimally-invasive, experienced the most growth in 2012. Facelifts and eyelid surgeries were up, while 2012 marked the highest number of botulinum toxin type A (Botox®, Dysport®) injections performed to date. Other facial rejuvenation procedures like soft tissue fillers, laser skin resurfacing (509,000 procedures, up 9 percent) and microdermabrasion also saw sizable increases.

Cosmetic Breast Surgery
Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation and breast lifts (89,000 procedures, down 2 percent) dropped last year, while male breast reduction (gynecomastia) shot up. Nearly 21,000 male breast reductions were performed, up 5 percent.

“Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation, as well as body contouring procedures like tummy tucks, were some of the most popular procedures performed in 2012, although they saw declines,” said Dr. Evans. “Facial rejuvenation procedures to eradicate wrinkles, refresh, or tighten sagging skin experienced growth, as more consumers chose to maintain or restore a youthful appearance with these procedures.”

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 1 percent in 2012. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 1 percent)
Laceration repair (291,000, down 4 percent)
Maxillofacial surgery (209,000, up 7 percent)
Scar revision (171,000, down 2 percent)
Hand surgery (123,000, up 3 percent)

Reconstructive breast reduction rates continue to rise, with more than 68,000 procedures performed last year, up 8 percent.

“Although breast reduction has many physical and psychological benefits for women with overly large breasts, obstacles remain in acquiring insurance coverage,” said Dr. Evans. “It’s promising to see gains in this and other beneficial, medically necessary surgeries.”

ASPS members can report procedural information through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery.

View the 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics report, a blog post authored by ASPS Public Education Chair Committee Chair David Reath, MD, entitled, “ASPS Annual Statistics-Plastic Surgery in 2012,” or to download a “2012 State of Plastic Surgery” infographic.

About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org orFacebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.