A: Congratulations on your weight loss success. That is a big accomplishment. While such extreme amount of weight loss is a big first step, most patients with this much weight loss will have large amounts of deflated skin that just hangs. This is managed by a range of procedures known as bariatric plastic surgery. With the exception of an abdominal panniculectomy, these procedures are cosmetic from a financial perspective. I know of no doctors or clinics that perform these extensive procedures at low to no cost. They require a large amount of surgical effort and operating room expense which is why there are no limited cost facilities or programs that perform them.

I wish you continued success in maintaining your current weight and one day being able to complete phase 2 of your body metamorphosis.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

A: Thank you for your inquiry. It is extremely common to have to do a hernia repair with any type of abdominal contouring procedure for the bariatric patient, whether it is a simple abdominal panniculectomy, a fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty, or a circumferential body lift. Hernias are now less frequently found with the newer laparoscopic bypass surgeries than with the older open approaches but they are still relatively common. As a plastic surgeon, we routinuely fix hernias using a muscle repair technique rather than the placement of any type of synthetic mesh. This is easy to do with the wide open exposure that occurs with the tummy tuck procedure.

The cost of a ‘bariatric’ tummy tuck can be quite variable based on what type of abdominal procedure is really needed. There are three basic options for the extreme weight loss patient, whether they have lost the weight by bariatric surgery or not. There are two types of frontal cutouts (panniculectomy, fleur-de-lis tummy tuck) and the circumferential body lift. (360 degree tummy tuck or tummy tuck combined with a hip and buttock lift) To get an accurate quote, one has to know exactly what is going to be done. This being said, as an outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia, the total costs can range from $ 6,500 to $ 9,500.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana