Will my insurance plan cover cosmetic surgery?
Insurance plans will generally pay for surgery that is performed to correct a defect caused by birth, injury or prior surgery. Examples include nasal surgery performed to correct a previous nasal fracture and breast reconstruction following mastectomy.
In certain cases, your insurance will pay for surgery if it is done to correct a functional problem. Examples include breast reduction to reduce excessively large breasts and nasal surgery performed to correct a deviated septum. In these cases the insurance company will most likely require a letter with photographs, from our office, documenting the functional problem and proposed surgical procedure. The insurance company will then determine if the operation meets their criteria of "medical necessity". These criteria vary with each insurance company. We will assist you in this approval process.
Cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by insurance plans. We can help you in obtaining financing for surgery so that the fee can be paid off in convenient, monthly installments.
Although there is really no "best time" of the year to have surgery, keep in mind the following factors. Depending upon the specific procedure a post-operative bandage or dressing may be required for a period of time. For some patients, wearing a bandage or compression garment during the summer months may be uncomfortable.
In addition, most patients will be advised to avoid direct sun exposure after surgery for a period of several months. In these instances, some patients may want to avoid surgery during the summer or right before a planned vacation trip to a sunny region.
For most patients, surgery should be scheduled at a time when it is most convenient for their specific needs. Often this corresponds to vacation time, available sick-time from work, school vacations and availability of other family or friends to assist them during their post-operative recovery.
For most patients there is not a great deal of discomfort following plastic surgical procedures. The majority of operations are done an outpatient basis with discharge home on the day of surgery. Oral pain medication is usually sufficient to control most discomfort following the surgery. Many patients report that after two to three days, any pain is easily controlled with mild analgesics such as Advil or Tylenol.
Additional information regarding recovery from specific operations can be found in their respective sites. Please visit those sites for additional information.
The recovery time following cosmetic surgery will vary depending upon the procedure, but we can offer some general guidelines.
For facial plastic surgery including eyelift, facelift and nasal surgery, most patients are able to resume light activities one to three days after surgery. By the end of one week, most patients should be able to resume all usual daily activities, if they are not too strenuous. Many patients are able to return to work at this time if no heavy physical activity is required. After a period of two to four weeks, many patients are able to resume exercise programs and athletics.
For procedures involving breast surgery, body contouring and liposuction the initial recovery after surgery will be slightly longer-- approximately two to four days depending upon the extent of surgery. Many patients are able to resume light daily activities by the end of the first week. More strenuous activities will require an additional one to two weeks of recuperation. Exercise program and athletics will generally need about four to six weeks of recovery.
Additional information about recovery following specific operations can be found in their respective web sites. Please visit those sites for additional information.
Following any surgical procedure, the skin in the treated area should be protected from direct sunlight. This skin is much more sensitive to sunburn than the normal skin. Exposure to the sun can therefore cause excessive burning, inflammation and swelling of this region. Damage to the skin can also occur.
We recommend protection with a sun block and/or clothing over the surgical site for the first several months following an operation. We can provide an excellent sunscreen for your use if desired.
Many plastic surgery procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. You will be discharged home on the same day, once you have sufficiently recovered from anesthesia. However, the effects of anesthesia will take some time to wear off-in some cases 24 hours. For that reason, you must have someone available, friend of family, who can escort you from the ambulatory surgery facility to your home.
Depending upon the nature and extent of surgery, many patients find it helpful to have someone available on the day of surgery to help with meals and any household activities that are normally required. This person can also help if dressings or cold compresses need to be prepared or applied to surgical sites. In general medical training is not required for these. It is helpful to have all necessary post-operative medications and dressings available before the procedure.
After the first 24 hours, most patients are able to perform all necessary household activities with minimal or no assistance. In those cases where no family or friends are available it is helpful to have sufficient groceries, etc. on hand so that additional trips to the store are not required during the first days following surgery.
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Installment plans are not available through our office. However, patients may be able to obtain financing for cosmetic surgery through a variety of private financing sources.