Price in plastic, aesthetic and cosmetic surgery
Most of the time we are unable to find the price of the procedure we are interested in and when we do find it, we see and hear completely different prices. Why is this?
We must understand that the price of a procedure is composed of several parts that correspond to stages before, during and after the procedure.
Before the procedure it is necessary to perform what are called diagnostic studies that correspond to the analysis of the blood sample, urine sample analysis and depending on the procedure to be performed, ultrasound studies, X-rays, tomography or magnetic resonance imaging may be requested. The purpose of performing these studies is to avoid any surprise that could hinder the procedure and therefore harm the patient. If we find any data that catches our attention within the results we can request the evaluation of another medical specialist.
During the procedure, the fees of the professional team must be considered, which generally includes at least an anesthesiologist, a surgeon and a surgical assistant. But also all medications and medical supplies used by the anesthesiologist and the surgeon. Finally, it is also important to consider how well equipped the place where the procedure will be performed is. Let us briefly analyze these three points:
The fees of the human professional team will depend on the results they produce. That is to say, they will be higher fees if they produce results that are highly desired by the patients and lower fees if they produce results that are less desired by the patients. The second point is of utmost importance, we can compare it to the fuel in the car, we can use premium or regular. Each vehicle owner will decide what type of fuel to put in his car. It is the same with the medicines and medical supplies that will be used on the patient: they can be of better or lower quality according to the importance given to the patient's body. The last point about the facility where the procedure will be performed is very interesting and the most easily identifiable. It is common knowledge among physicians that there are establishments that we call "Type A"and the rest that "They are not Type A". Why do we make this distinction that many patients do not even know? Well, the "Type A" facilities are those that have invested more in their infrastructure and have better working material and better working equipment. They are those facilities where we know that the nurses will do their job well, but also the janitors. They are also those facilities where we know that they have all the necessary machines for patient care and that they work well.
After the procedure, the patient will have wounds and will be in a recovery phase. Therefore, he/she will need medication, as well as close monitoring of the recovery in order to detect if something does not happen as expected or to guide the recovery to be as fast as possible.
All these parts and their possibilities explain the great difference in prices that are observed when a quotation is requested for the performance of a procedure. This is the reason why you will not easily find published prices as they can vary considerably.
We physicians are usually the ones who orchestrate and decide on these different ingredients. It is unheard of for a patient to have a choice in each of these steps, simply because of unfamiliarity with the process.
Very often the fees of the professional team will not change and the difference in the prices will be in what is included and the quality of what is included.
The most common example is that of physicians who give two different prices depending on the facility chosen. You now know that the higher price will correspond to the performance in a type A facility. type A and the cheaper price in a facility that is not type A.
However, many times the construction or assembly of the price is much more elaborate; for example, being the most economical the one that does not include the process before the procedure nor the process after the procedure and for the process during the procedure includes medicines, supplies and a facility all of low quality. The incredible thing is that the patient, thinking that he/she is making a great deal, is the only one harmed since everything that will be used on him/her will be of lower quality even if the professional team is the best.It is of little use to have the best house builder with the worst materials to build your house.
