Believe it or not, rhinoplasty and breast augmentation are the two cosmetic procedures people treat as commodities. Every day, we get callers only interested in “what is the cost of a rhinoplasty in Columbus Ohio” or “what is the cost of a breast augmentation”. Despite our staff’s attempts to educate the caller about the importance of the surgeon’s credentials and experience, the caller typically acts disinterested and seems more anxious to move onto the next plastic surgery office to compare prices. Frankly, I don’t get it.
Rhinoplasty and breast augmentation are the two most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures. I would say, all things considered, they are probably the most challenging procedures we do and the ones that, because of the relatively high incidence of undesirable results, lead to a high number of revision surgeries.
A commodity, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a good or service whose wide availability typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (such as value and safety) other than price. Pricing for cosmetic procedures in most areas of the country is pretty consistent. For example, in Columbus Ohio there isn’t much difference in pricing between plastic surgeons for these procedures. Personally, if there is a particular procedure I no longer want to perform for whatever reason, I might set my fee so high that patients will go elsewhere. However, I assure you this isn’t the case with rhinoplasty and breast augmentation. Sure there may be a few hundred dollars’ difference from one office to another, but remember the total cost includes facility, anesthesiologist and implant costs. In my opinion, this is certainly not enough to justify sacrificing quality, safety and outcome.
When considering all these variables, it probably is well worth the additional expense to have the best plastic surgeon and surgical team in Columbus Ohio in order to have the best shot at your dream outcome.
I recently broke my leg, which required surgery. Of course, there is a difference between elective cosmetic surgery and necessary surgery. But much like cash out-of-pocket cosmetic surgery, we have a high deductible so I am footing the expense for much of the surgery. I don’t practice medicine in the orthopedic trauma world so naturally I had no idea who did this kind of work let alone who is qualified. But ultimately, everything worked out because Dr. Chris and I frantically collected our information and were comforted to know I was in the best of hands.
I encourage all of my patients to collect as much information as they can about their surgeon, but don’t forget about who is giving anesthesia, the facility and staff. They play important roles in your success. This is all spelled out in my book When Your Nose Doesn’t Fit, regarding rhinoplasty surgery. A complimentary copy is available on our website and through our office.
My advice to anyone who is considering cosmetic surgery is DO YOUR RESEARCH. Don’t focus just on price. Remember, sometimes you get what you pay for. If you do these simple things you can influence your outcome and achieve your dreams.
