The mini-abdominoplasty involves making an incision along the natural waistline while removing excess fat deposits through liposuction techniques before tightening muscles underneath this area using sutures or staples just like with a traditional tummy tuck procedure otherwise known as an abdominoplasty operation which can be done under local anesthesia only; however this method does not require general anesthesia during recovery time due
The traditional tummy tuck procedure involves removing excess fat and skin from your abdomen area while also tightening muscles on the lower part of your abdomen. An incision is made on the lower edge of your bikini line, and excess skin is removed from your lower abdomen, waistline and hips without affecting the muscles underneath them. Afterward, sutures or staples are used to close up the incision site so that it heals properly without leaving any scars behind.
Read on to learn more on How Can I Get A Tummy Tuck Using Blue Cross And Blue Shield, How Much Weight Do You Lose with A Tummy Tuck? and How Much Does A Tummy Tuck Cost (UK)?
How Can I Get A Tummy Tuck Using Blue Cross And Blue Shield
One of the fallouts of weight loss surgery for some patients is the appearance of loose or hanging skin in certain areas of the body. Fortunately, this condition can be successfully corrected with skin removal plastic surgery. Many patients want to know how to get insurance to cover skin removal or is skin removal surgery after weight loss covered by insurance. In this guide, let us look when Blue Cross Blue Shield skin removal surgery may be covered for patients who have had bariatric surgery.
Will insurance cover skin removal after weight loss
Yes, insurance will cover skin removal after weight loss surgery when certain conditions are fulfilled. Leading insurance providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield cover plastic surgery procedures when these are performed as a medical necessity, and not for cosmetic reasons. If you are wondering does insurance cover skin removal surgery, here are some of the typical criteria that should be met to obtain this coverage.
- Weight loss: In general, your insurance company may consider your request for coverage for skin removal surgery if you have lost at least 100 lbs. of excess body weight. This massive weight loss may take place gradually over one to two years following your bariatric surgery.
- Stable weight: The insurance provider will look at how long your body weight has remained stable following your weight loss. You should have maintained a stable body weight for at least six months (not gained or lost significant weight in this period) to meet this qualifying criterion.
- Date of surgery: You should know when does insurance cover plastic surgery after bariatric surgery? The answer is: at least one year. In general, to be eligible for insurance coverage for skin removal surgery, at least one year should have passed from the date of your weight loss surgery.
- Skin concerns: If the excess skin is causing fungal infection, ulcerations, rashes, chafing or pain and discomfort, and your primary care physician recommends skin removal surgery, you may qualify for insurance coverage. You will be required to submit documentation with your application.
- Body areas: Does insurance cover skin removal after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass for all body areas? No. The most common area that is usually covered for skin removal surgery is the lower abdomen. Apron-like skin (pannus) may hang down in this area, which can be surgically removed.
Blue cross blue shield skin removal surgery
To know how to get insurance to cover skin removal surgery after weight loss, it is best to speak to your insurance company representative. Every major insurance provider may have slightly different requirements for this coverage. Blue Cross Blue Shield skin removal surgery coverage is usually restricted to panniculectomy procedure, which involves surgical removal of excess skin from the lower abdominal area.
Criteria for coverage may include:
- The pannus (loose skin in the lower abdomen) hangs at or below the pubic line.
- The excess skin is causing dermatitis, skin ulcers, or cellulitis, which has not responded to non-invasive treatments for minimum three months.
- You are suffering from a functional impairment because of excess skin, which can be improved with panniculectomy.
- The time gap between your weight loss surgery and skin removal surgery (panniculectomy) should be at least 18 months.
- Your body weight should have remained stable in the last six months prior to your scheduled skin removal surgery.
- A condition called diastatis recti (“pooch belly”) which occurs because of loose abdominal muscles will not be covered by insurance.
- To obtain coverage for Blue Cross Blue Shield for skin removal surgery, you will have to submit relevant medical records and/or operative reports, copies of medical consultations, photographs, and other necessary information that support your claim.
Does blue cross blue shield cover plastic surgery?
Yes, Blue Cross Blue Shield covers certain plastic surgery procedures as long as the procedure is performed as a medical necessity. However, before going ahead with your surgery, you should ask the company’s representative about how to get insurance to cover skin removal or another type of plastic surgery procedure.
In general, Blue Cross Blue Shield covers plastic surgery for the following procedures:
- Reconstructive plastic surgery that is performed to correct deformities of the body or face caused due to injury, illness, developmental abnormality, or birth defects.
- Breast reconstruction, septoplasty (nose surgery), cleft palate and cleft lip surgery, and hand reconstructive surgery are some of the commonly covered procedures.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield for skin removal surgery is covered if it is performed as a medical necessity.
- Breast reduction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) plastic surgeries are covered if the excess skin is causing significant medical concerns or functional impairment.
- Facelift or facial plastic surgery is covered if it is performed to recover from a burn injury.
- Breast revision surgery performed because of painful contractures following breast augmentation may be covered.
- Rhinoplasty is covered by insurance to treat post-traumatic nasal damage or a birth-related nasal defect or deformity.
- Hair transplant surgery is covered if the permanent hair loss occurred due to trauma, illness, or a previous treatment.
Blue cross blue shield cosmetic coverage for skin removal
Bariatric surgery may sometimes result in excess skin in multiple areas, including upper arms, back, breasts, buttocks, and thighs – apart from the abdomen. Although a comprehensive body lift surgery can correct these conditions, but does insurance cover skin removal for cosmetic concerns? The answer is no. Your insurance company will only offer coverage when skin removal surgery is a medical necessity.
Many patients want to know does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover plastic surgery for all body areas. Unfortunately, the BCBS coverage is primarily offered only for panniculectomy to address medical concerns occurring because of excess skin in the lower abdomen. The insurer may also stipulate that only a plan-affiliated surgeon must order and perform the procedure for the coverage to be valid.
How Much Does A Tummy Tuck Cost (UK)?
One of your main concerns when dividing whether or not a tummy tuck is right for you is the price of the treatment.
The good news is that although it is not a small investment, a tummy tuck may not cost quite as much as you imagined.
So, how much is a Tummy Tuck?
In the UK, for a Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty) you can expect to pay anything from £5,000 to £9,000, and sometimes they can even cost over £10,000 (depending on the individual and work needed).
The reason we can only give you a guide price range is that each case is unique and different and therefore tummy tuck surgery comes with a different cost.
Many factors need to be taken into consideration and the only way you can get a more accurate price for the procedure is by booking a consultation appointment and speaking to an expert surgeon in our London clinic (or multiple private clinics across the UK).
What Is A Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck often referred to as an abdominoplasty, is a type of cosmetic surgery that is designed to improve the appearance and shape of your abdomen.
This normally includes the removal of excess skin that has become loose and lifeless, fat, stretch marks and having your abdominal muscles tightened.
This is generally seen as the best course of action if you cannot make the necessary changes to how your body and tummy look through just healthy eating and exercise.
There are several different options when it comes to choosing the type of abdominoplasty that is right for you :
Full abdominoplasty – best if you have lots of excess skin that needs to be removed
Mini abdominoplasty – ideal if you only have a small amount of excess skin that needs to be removed
Endoscopic abdominoplasty – the procedure you need if you are looking to have your abdominal muscles tightened.
Your plastic surgeon can advise which is the best option to remove any excess skin or remaining skin.
What Does Tummy Tuck Surgery Involve?
The team here at Linia know how nervous you may feel with the prospect of going under the knife, which is why we want to help you understand exactly what happens during an abdominoplasty.
First, we will focus on a standard or full tummy tuck, before discussing a mini tummy tuck. Before the surgeon begins the procedure, you will be given a general anaesthetic so that you are put to sleep.
Once you are under and relaxed, the surgeon will start by making a careful cut from one hip to the other, following what is known as the bikini line on females, which is the line that runs above your pubic area.
They will then make another cut, this time around your belly button so that it is free from the skin surrounding it.
Depending on the results you are looking to achieve, how much excess fat and skin needs to be removed and how much muscle tightening needs to be done, the surgeon will get to work.
If you require any liposuction and have opted for that additional procedure, it will be carried out at the same time.
Once the excess skin and fat have been removed and the muscles tightened, they will then pull the skin remaining on your tummy down and make a new hole.
That is where your belly button will go back so that everything is in the right position.
What is a Mini Tummy Tuck?
A mini tummy tuck is very similar to a full tummy tuck, in that fat and skin are removed. However, your belly button will normally be left in the same place.
Generally, liposuction is required as part of a mini-abdominoplasty to help with body contouring.
How Much Weight Do You Lose with A Tummy Tuck?
As an abdominoplasty is not a type of weight loss surgery, but rather, a body contouring procedure, it will not help you lose lots of weight.
It is recommended that you are as close to your ideal weight as possible because the surgeon may not be able to perform it on you if you are too overweight.
What Side Effects Can Arise From a Tummy Tuck?
As a tummy tuck is an invasive surgical procedure, it is normal to experience some side effects.
Although not serious, it is important to be aware of these so you are fully prepared for the recovery period following surgery.
There will be a scar that runs across the lower part of your tummy and around your belly button, depending on whether you had a full or mini-abdominoplasty.
It is also common to experience the following:
- Difficulty standing up straight. It can often feel something is pulling your tummy down.
- Bruising and pain
- Numbness in and around your tummy. This could last for just a few months or even years after surgery.
- Temporary swelling above and around the scar, where fluid is collected.
- Raised and red scars for the first 6 weeks of recovery that will eventually diminish and fade
What to Do if You Have Complications?
Although our plastic surgeons are highly trained and experienced here at Linia cosmetic surgery, with any surgical procedure there is always a measure of risk involved.
Some of the more serious complications that can arise following an abdominoplasty include:
- More obvious and thicker scars starting to develop
- Large bulges beneath your skin
- Extra skin, often referred to as dog ears, developing around the edges of your scar
- Wounds not healing properly
- Fluid collecting in and around the area where the procedure was carried out
- Blood collecting beneath the surface of the skin (haematoma)
- Pain or numbness in and around your tummy or down your leg
- Tummy pain or cramps
- Breathing difficulties
- Blood clot developing in a vein
- Excessive amounts of bleeding
- Allergic reaction to your anaesthetic (this is incredibly rare)
- Infection
In the event of any of these complications arising in the days, weeks, months or even years following your procedure, you should contact the Linia Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.
Is a Tummy Tuck The Right Procedure for Me (Alternatives?)
Although the decision of whether abdominoplasty is right for you is indeed a personal one, it is a good idea to get expert help and advice when making the decision.
At your consultation appointment, one of our highly trained surgeons, who will be performing the surgery if you choose to go ahead, will discuss with you your eligibility for a tummy tuck and what you are looking to achieve.
You must keep in mind that a tummy tuck is a cosmetic surgical procedure designed to improve the appearance and shape of your tummy after you have gained or lost a lot of weight and are living with unsightly stretch marks or loose skin. It is not a weight-loss procedure.
Although it is not a true alternative, if you do not want to have the surgery, you may be able to achieve similar body contouring results with just liposuction.
Minimally invasive, liposuction removes fat using suction.
Less invasive still, is our cutting-edge vaser liposuction procedure.
This would be an ideal alternative if you do not have too much excess skin and have localised pockets of excess weight that you are looking to have removed.
You can see the differences here in our guide about liposuction vs tummy tuck
Who Should Not Have a Tummy Tuck?
As we have already noted, a tummy tuck is not a weight-loss procedure.
Therefore, if you are overweight, you should not have the surgery and the surgeon you see at your consultation appointment will not agree to go ahead with the procedure.
Not only will you not be able to achieve the weight loss results you are looking for, but your weight could put you at risk and complicate the procedure.
Abdominoplasty is also not suitable if you are currently a heavy smoker or have suffered from blood clots in the past.
Is a Tummy Tuck Worth It?
Again, whether a tummy tuck is right for you if you are a suitable candidate, is a personal decision.
If you are self-conscious and have low self-esteem due to excess skin or severe stretch marks, and it is
affecting the quality of life you have, the procedure will certainly correct those issues.
You need to be aware, though, of the risks and complications and the fact that recovery is going to take a long time. It is not an easy fix and you should expect pain and discomfort.
If you think you can cope with that and are willing to put in the hard work (or rest) necessary to enjoy the best results possible, then abdominoplasty may just be the key to starting a new chapter in life.
One where you are confident to wear that bikini and feel comfortable in your own body.