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Updated: 12:19 AM Nov 10, 2006
Touch-Ups
Cosmetic surgery considerations Many people wouldn't mind trimming a few years off their looks or a few pounds off their frames. But how far would you go? Posted: 9:50 PM Nov 9, 2006 |
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Many people wouldn't mind trimming a few years off their looks or a few pounds off their frames. But how far would you go?
One of the latest trends in cosmetic surgery is the package deal, aimed at saving time and money.
Jody Sutton, a mother of two, always struggled with weight. The 35-year-old did drop more than 40 pounds on her own but she wanted a boost.
"I almost achieved my goal but had a little skin here and there," she says.
So, Sutton started with a breast augmentation two years ago. More recently she had a tummy tuck and liposuction.
Dr. John Edney, of Aesthetic Surgical Images, says he's seeing more and more women who want multiple procedures and some people want them all on the same day.
Dr. Edney says, "Once they are done having kids and they want everything fixed, I think people find out there's only one recovery time instead of having three or four operations."
Aside from the recovery time a patient also saves on costs -- and those costs keep rising.
From 2000 to 2005, tummy tucks jumped in price by seven percent and breast augmentations rose by nine percent. The most popular procedure nationwide is liposuction and that has risen 17 percent.
But bundling all three together can cut the price.
At Aesthetic Surgical Images a breast augmentation runs $4,500; a tummy tuck: $6,000. Liposuction costs between $3,000 and $5,000. The total can run as high as $15,500 but if a patient gets all three at the same time that cost drops to $9,000.
Dr. Mae Sokol, a psychiatrist with Creighton University, says surgery can have complications and people need to do research.
Dr. Sokol says, "We see too many people who have had procedures done and there is no problem with their body. It's their body image. They imagine there's a problem."
Dr. Edney does turn some patients away and he says that multiple procedures do have limitations. He won't, for example, allow patients to spend more than five hours on his operating table.
He says, "For us, the first question: is it safe if we're going to do it. If not, we won't."
Jody Sutton admits that she had no medical need for her surgeries, "but it was something for me, to complete something I started."
Jody is already planning ahead and saving her money for her next operation.
She says, "I'm already saving for a face lift, probably in 10 years or so."
One thing that remains popular is preventive cosmetic medicine. Women are doing small procedures such as Botox or collagen fillers to try to prevent the effects of aging.







