Excision or Excision+liposuction?

[bob12345]

hi guys

I will be getting surgery in June or July. The excision of the gland tissue is completely covered. However, the surgeon gave me an option of also getting liposuction. I'm skinny and don't have much fat anywhere except my stomach and chest. While removing the gland is free, liposuction will cost $900. I'm debating on whether or not getting liposuction in addition. Would it be worth the money?

I've attached a picture

[cduub]

Sure will for 900 bucks for a nice contour I wouldnt even think twice. That surgery alone with both starts at 4k and up. Incision removes the gland but in cases like mine I had that done but the skin never tethered to my chest so it had no where to go but stay like it was leaving me with the same puffy look. Even if you read in the Doctors forum you will see they all recommend lipo also for smooth contouring purposes.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Unfortunately, in the insurance world that we live in, gland excision may be covered for you (be aware, that is a rare circumstance) but lipo is not.  It is like saying that using a scalpel is covered but using a scissors is not covered.

Liposuction cannulas are instruments, just like a scalpel or a scissors.  Unfortunately, once the word "liposuction" is used, it connotes "cosmetic" and hence the insurance companies jump on this and call it cosmetic and refuse to cover it.  Quite honestly, the use of cannulas is, in my opinion, mandatory for practically every gyne operation.  Therefore, there should not really be a breakdown of fees for use or non-use of a cannula.

One day I would love to operate on the CEO of an insurance company and provide him/her with the same litany of ridiculous choices that the companies push on us poor souls.

To your question:  yes, do pay for the lipo -- you will get a better result.

Dr Jacobs

[craftspace234]

What I would like to know is, how did you get insurance to cover it?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Aahhhh -- that's the phrase that has reverberated on the forum for a long time.  Unfortunately, insurance companies are loathe to cover anything that even smacks of cosmetic, and once a surgeon mentions the word liposuction or (lipo) cannula in an operative report, then the entire procedure is deemed cosmetic and not covered by insurance.

There have been rare instances on this forum and in my practice where insurance did cover the procedure, but it is exceedingly rare.

Dr Jacobs