Is cosmetic plastic surgery expensive?
It depends, usually it is not as much as you may think. Different areas of the country differ greatly in what procedures cost. Usually the larger cities are able to charge significantly more, although the quality of the service is no different. For example, a breast augmentation in Dallas, Texas or Kansas City, Kansas might be $6-7 thousand, while in Tulsa, Oklahoma the cost is under $4000 for everything. If you are willing to travel, you can save quite a bit, while getting the same quality of service.
Why do prices vary so much?
Prices can be difficult to explain. We've all heard the supply and demand theories. Prices vary for many other reasons. Prices may or may not reflect quality. Sometimes you may get what you pay for as is often the case when you see deeply discounted medical spa procedures. Discounted services are usually being performed by inexperienced or lesser qualified personal. Most, if not all, of the results of these procedures are directly dependant on the person who performs the service. In addition, a highly trained and qualified technician can get a better result with fewer risks of problems that could happen. Sometimes price does not reflect quality, as when you compare plastic surgery. This is much more difficult. For example, in Tulsa the average cost for a breast augmentation is several thousand dollars less expensive as other cities in surrounding states, like Dallas, Wichita, Joplin and Kansas City. You can have as good quality surgical care if not better, in Tulsa as you can in Dallas. What is more difficult to explain is within the community itself. Price can vary greatly from surgery to surgery for lots of reasons. Quality can also vary greatly. But these two do not necessarily correlate. What you really need to determine, is how much confidence you have with the surgeon. How common are each of the complications.
What is the difference between Dr Whitlock's office and other plastic surgery offices?
There are many differences between Dr Whitlock's office and other offices. First of all, we do not bad mouth any other offices, and if you find a better service, we encourage you to try them out. We believe you should be where you feel most comfortable. We know that once you have checked out the other offices you will see the difference in quality. Remember that all surgeries are not the same, or at times even similar. Some surgeons have far more problems, including pain, infections, scar tissue build up and reoperations. Dr. Whitlock specializes in only cosmetic plastic surgery and has a very high patient satisfaction rate, as well as a very low complication rate. We believe in a friendly and professional atmosphere. We specialize in surgical enhancement, and believe the answer lies with our dedication towards quality and not the quantity which can often be seen.
How do I know who is a good surgeon?
This is a very difficult question. There is no consumers report for plastic surgeries. Often a surgeon who specializes in one type of surgery, like hand or reconstruction, may be less qualified to perform many cosmetic surgeries. A few ways may be suggested. First, ask around, find out from as many people as you can about their surgeons as well as any problem they might have had, and how they were treated. Other sources can be a reference list from the offices themselves, although there may be some biases. Lastly, ask of the success and poor outcomes of the specific procedure that you are interested in. Include such things as the specific numbers of infections, bleeding problems, scar problems and re-operations. If these numbers aren't known, they may be more frequent than you would like.
Do I need a Tummy Tuck or Liposuction?
These two procedures are often times confused for their indications.
A Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty is a skin tightening and muscle tightening procedure only. Very little fatty tissue is removed. This procedure will remove the skin, and scars and stretch marks with it, between the naval and just below the top of the pubic hair line is normally. It does not address the fatty tissue at the top of the abdomen or the sides (flanks). Prime candidates are patients with excess skin or loose muscles, usually after childbearing. The loose skin that hangs over the top of the waistband is best treated with a tummy tuck.
Liposuction, on the other hand, only addresses the fatty tissue beneath the skin. The skin is not tightened. This means that good candidates will have good elasticity of their skin. Also the muscles should be in good position, as this is also not addressed.
These two procedures can often be added together to enhance the final result. This way the skin and muscle can be tightened with the tummy tuck, while the fatty tissue from the upper portion of the tummy as well as the sides and back can also be removed with liposuction.
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