Breast Augmentation Information – Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company

January 27th, 2012



The breast augmentation information you don’t know could cost you your health insurance coverage.

Most people understand that typically insurance companies do not pay for cosmetic or aesthetic surgery of any kind. They may pay for some types of reconstructive or other necessary plastic surgery.

Thus good health plans, becoming fewer and fewer, will pay for plastic surgery to a face disfigured in an accident or fire. Moreover, most insurance plans will pay for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

Also some plans may pay for removal of burst or ruptured breast implants. In fact this and other breast augmentation dangers may be why insurance companies may reconsider your policy if they discover you have had implants placed in your breasts.

When, an insurance company pays for breast implant extraction it will not pay for any implant replacement. If the patient wishes to do that, it is again out of pocket cost.

I know of no plan which will pay for elective luxuries like breast enhancement. So you negotiate with your plastic surgeon – pay out of pocket and think that “that’s that.”

Unfortunately what most people do not realize is that by having breast implants used in any breast augmentation operation you put yourself at risk of loosing your health insurance coverage, or at the minimum having your insurance rates raised.

Therefore before having any breast augmentation surgery ask the following questions from your health insurance company:
Does my policy cover the costs of the implant surgery, the implant, the anesthesia, and other related hospital costs? To what extent? You may be able to piggyback the anesthesia with a covered procedure. I know one lady who had a face lift and breast augmentation in a single session and saved a huge amount of recovery time as well as money, but it was all out of pocket expenses. Does my plan cover the extraction and replacement of the implants if this becomes necessary? To what extent? Does it cover the cost of detecting or treating a complication as a result of either the implant or the reconstruction? To what extent? Note you may need an MRI to find out if an implant has ruptured. Will there be an increase in my insurance premium? To what extent? Will my future coverage be affected? To what extent?

Cheek Implant Surgery Tips and Information

October 19th, 2011



Cheek implant surgery is a great way to help people who desire a more youthful appearance to the facial features. Many people find that their face is one of the first areas of the body to show age. There is frequently a loss of fullness in the central area of the face. There may be a hollow look around the eyes or a flattened look to the cheeks. Gravity and skin loosening due to age as well as weak or stretched ligaments that attach the bone and skin are major causes of these problems.

Cosmetic cheek surgery can be done using silicone implants. These are carefully chosen for their size and shape by your board certified plastic surgeon. The silicone is inserted surgically from the inside of the mouth so that there are no visible scars on the face connected with this surgery. The cheek tissue is lifted back up and the face has a healthier, younger look. If you are concerned about surgery, there are other options available using injectable fillers. These procedures are taking over popularity. However, some problems cannot be solved with fillers, and cheek implant surgery becomes the best choice.

The cheek implant surgery is relatively simple and short. The recovery time is about a week to heal and there may be some temporary bruising or swelling. This will dissipate within a few days and is quite normal. There is minimal risk of bleeding or infection, but you should consult your physician immediately if such problems occur. Full, rounder cheeks that give a youthful, healthy look are the exciting result of this cosmetic procedure.

Useful Information For Out of Town Plastic Surgery Patients

July 22nd, 2011



If you’re thinking of having cosmetic surgery with a Plastic Surgeon located in another city or state, it is important to contact his or her Patient Care Coordinator. A close relationship with this person will help the trip go as smoothly as possible.

You should discuss with the Patient Care Coordinator exactly what type of procedure(s) you want. It will also be beneficial to send photos of the area(s) you would like to change. Doing a telephone conference, or even a video conference, is one of the preferred ways to ensure that your wishes and thoughts about surgery will be addressed.

The PCC should be able to email or mail you some paperwork so that it will be taken care of before your visit. This will include demographics information, who will be taking care of you, where you’ll be staying, your medical history, post-surgery instructions, and other important information.

If possible, he or she will arrange with you any prescriptions you might need for surgery while you’re in your hometown.

You may need to see you family doctor in your home town for a pre-surgical clearance and a consultation with your doctor to ensure that it’s safe for you to have surgery and anesthesia.

A medical visit for pre-surgical clearance can be arranged in another city, but clearance from your family doctor may be easier for you. Also, all lab testing can be done well ahead of surgery and doesn’t have to be rushed the day before your operation.

An estimate of the total cost of your procedures should be sent to you ahead of time, so you can plan your form of payment. This surgical quote will include the operating room fee, anesthesia fee, and surgical fee.

At least the day before surgery, or earlier, you’ll be able to meet with the plastic surgeon personally. The Plastic Surgeon will do a consultation with you and ensure that you are on the same page. You’ll get your prescriptions that day, in case you’re getting them when you arrive in town. You’ll be able to go over, in person, any post-surgery instructions with the Patient Care Coordinator.

Preferably, you will stay in a hotel within a block or two of the designated surgical facility.

If you need help recovering after surgery, or your surgery is more extensive, or you’re traveling by yourself, you may want to stay at a Post-Op Recovery center. The Post-Op Recovery center will pick you up after surgery and take care of you for as long as you wish.

You will most likely need to stay for about 1 week after surgery. Depending on your procedure, you may have to stay in town for a shorter or longer time for appropriate post-surgical care.

Even when you’re at home your plastic surgeon should keep in touch with you, to ensure that you’re healing well and that everything after surgery is optimized.

Plastic Surgery – Put in Some Research Before Selecting a Surgeon

December 11th, 2010



Saving money is nearly everyone’s goal right now, but skimping on cosmetic surgery is not advised. If you select a cheap plastic surgeon with little or no experience, you will have to deal with the consequences for the rest of your life. In this case, research really does pay off, and you can do most of it online.

Finding out the history of plastic surgeons should not be difficult. If the one you select has a long history with positive feedback, you can likely find it online. In fact, most experienced doctors at reputable medical centers have their own website on which you can find their education, surgery history, and sometimes even pictures before and after surgeries.

This is the most thorough you can get, so if you find a doctor in your area with good credentials on his or her website, keep that surgeon in mind.

If you care more about the experience that other people have had with the selected doctor, ask your friends and family if they can recommend any names. Even if they haven’t had cosmetic surgery, they are sure to know someone who has. They might at least be able to tell you what doctors to avoid based on stories from their friends and colleagues.

You can also ask your general practitioner if they can refer you to any good specialists in cosmetic surgery. Typically, even family practice doctors know several surgeons, whether they work in the same building or have simply heard great things through their own patients. Again, you can also obtain reasons not to use a particular doctor this way, as well.

Even if you get glowing reviews from friends regarding a certain surgeon, you should find out if they are licensed. They might have a great bedside manner and have had good results on one surgery, but that doesn’t mean they are well-educated or even passed the required tests to get a license in their field. If you want the best results, you need to find the surgeon with the best education, recommendations, and proper licensing.

You probably research before you make any big purchases, such as a car, house, or even TV. If your operation goes wrong, you can’t return it or get store credit. Instead, you have to deal with scars or other medical issues regarding your body forever. Researching your doctor might not guarantee that your procedure will go perfectly, but it can greatly improve the chances.

Motivations for Plastic Surgery are Deeply Personal

October 24th, 2010



The criticism of plastic surgery as pandering to the vanity of people is unfair. The desire for self improvement is a natural impulse, and typically people who seek plastic surgery are simply unhappy about an aspect of their appearance. They feel sufficiently displeased to pursue a solution to make themselves more content. In some cases, plastic surgery even opens the door to greater self confidence.

Perhaps you want to ease back the inevitable effects of age, repair the sagging legacy of childbearing, or augment or reduce your breasts. Employing plastic surgery as a means to improve physical traits is essentially the same as getting braces to straighten your teeth. No one would call you vain if you wanted straighter teeth. However, plastic surgery is generally more drastic than teeth straightening, which is why you should carefully examine your feelings for wanting plastic surgery. It is not a step to be taken lightly.

In 2005, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted a survey to study the motivations people had for plastic surgery and their demographics. You might be surprised to learn that the study indicated that plastic surgery is not limited to higher income people. Members of diverse socioeconomic classes have an interest in and even undergo plastic surgery procedures.

According to the ASPS study, a broad range of age groups seeks plastic surgery, from ages 18 on up. Certainly the younger surgery candidates are seeking cosmetic modifications, typically to the nose or breasts, as opposed to older surgery candidates who also take the effects of aging into their plastic surgery plans.

In depth interviews with a selection of survey participants in the ASPS study revealed that most people who were interested in plastic surgery were deeply bothered by a physical feature. They wanted plastic surgery because they believed it would provide emotional, psychological, or social improvements.

As a practicing California plastic surgeon, it is part of my job to help potential plastic surgery patients examine and understand their motivations. A patient with a healthy perspective will want to modify his or her body so as to overcome a physical trait that is personally unpleasant. The rest of the world may not be judging you as harshly as judge yourself, but your self-confidence comes from your self-judgment, which is at the heart of the matter.

If you are considering plastic surgery, you should make sure to do some soul searching about your physical dissatisfaction and compare that carefully to the costs and risks of surgery. Make sure that the plastic surgeon you meet with is attentive to your goals and motivations. A plastic surgeon should not promise you the moon. Plastic surgery is not going to turn you into a movie star. Plastic surgery may be able to improve your body, but it will not produce a new body. However, California plastic surgery can be a positive experience that frequently helps people gain greater satisfaction with their physical appearances.

What Do We Need to Know Before Undergoing Plastic Surgery?

July 8th, 2010



Knowing is considered to be half the battle so it important to do your research and ensure that you are well informed about your upcoming plastic surgery as well as your options should you decides to take them instead. Until recently, the concept of having some cosmetic procedure done has been limited to those who live in the lifestyle of the rich, famous and eccentric. There has been a reason for this that comes down to cost and the simple fact that in most cases one’s insurance will not cover most procedures.

But now times have changed, the costs of procedures have dropped drastically in an attempt to draw in more possible clients who do not exactly fit the rich and famous persona. On top of all of that, many financial institutes from banks to credit card companies to just about any lending company now offer some type of plastic surgery loan. These loans enable persons who would have never been able to have work done before, to be availed the option of doing so.

You also have to realize that there are also many risks involved with having plastic surgery done, these risks can also occur from a reputable surgeon for the simple fact that too many variables are involved. There are many possible complications that occur from plastic surgery that includes things like black skin or keloids, there is also the possibility of having an uneven coloration as well as dark or light spots.

Now a day, any doctor can become a plastic surgeon; the only real requirement is that you have to be a doctor. A pediatrician or even a gynecologist can take an extended weekend course and come out saying that they are a plastic surgeon. Because of this possibility, it is also important that you ensure that your surgeon is board certified. This does not mean the doctors board because otherwise they would not be a doctor. What board certification means is that they have been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery as an actual plastic surgeon.

Always do your research and as many questions as you can, from who the doctor is, what is his/her experiences, and even what are the risks that are specifically associated with the procedure in question. It all comes down to knowing what is going on and what to expect from the procedure itself.