Insurance Coverage
Abdominoplasty is an operation frequently indicated for changes in the female abdomen after childbearing or aging. For these reasons there are those who may seek insurance coverage for the procedure. In Southern California at this point, insurance coverage is not practical. Performing the operation in most hospital operating rooms (as is the norm for insurance work) increases the cost significantly. Frequently, after preapproval the insurance company will re-consider leaving the patient with a significant financial burden often several times that of performing the operation in the usual environment. There are surgeons who will perform the operation at insurance rates, but I can't provide my usual High Level of Service and pay overhead at those rates. These and other issues basically make insurance coverage out of the question in my practice.
Gynecological Surgery and Tummy Tuck Together?
About once a year, I see a patient seeking to have Tummy Tuck and C-section or Tummy Tuck and hysterectomy in the same operation. As we have discussed abdominoplasty is a large operation with some risk. I feel it prudent to do what is possible to limit these risks. A few years ago, a study indicated the risk of pulmonary embolus doubled or tripled when performing hysterectomy and tummy tuck together. For this reason, I am not a big fan of combination of abdominoplasty with most other procedures particularly intra-abdominal procedures.
