Liposuction is one of the most difficult surgery’s to estimate costs and laser liposuction prices are not much easier to estimate. It depends on the amount and type of anesthesia involved and the surgeons’ skills and experience level as well as the type of machine that will be used. As with all surgery these areas are the three fees that make up the total cost. These are anesthesia fee, surgeon fee, and facility fees.

Right off the bat we can say that laser liposuction prices will be lower than tradition liposuction because there is a smaller amount of anesthesia involved. In most surgeries that require large doses or general anesthesia, an anesthesiologist is required and that jacks up the anesthesia fee.

The machine used in a laser liposuction procedure costs about $100,000 to $150,000 and the doctors will look to pass these costs to the patient. High traffic clinics will be able to lower the facility aspect of the total price.

The anesthesia and facility fees are usually more stable and the greatest variance of price comes from the surgeon fee. Most patients usually want to go back for a second touch up of the same area. This is usually done about six months after the initial surgery and most surgeons will charge half the original price for the touch up procedures.

The size of the area is a big determinate of the price of your laser liposuction procedure. It is important to go see your plastic surgeon for an accurate price quote after you’ve been evaluated for the areas you want work done. You will learn everything you need to know after the initial consultation to decide whether laser liposuction and the quoted prices are right for you.

Here is an approximate cost of liposuction at one Los Angeles plastic surgery location to give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay for laser liposuction. The cost of liposuction varies depending on the numbers of areas treated, the amount of extra fat expected to be removed, and whether or not liposuction has been already performed in the area. In general, fees range from $1000 to $3000 per area. For an exact quote, please schedule an appointment for consultation with a surgeon.

Abdomen and flanks ranges from $5,500 to $10,000. Arms and outer chests will costs around $4,500 to $7,500. Entire thigh is from $6,000 to $12,000. Neck and face is priced around $2,800 to $5,000. Buttocks, $5,500 to $10,000. And calves range from $4,500 to $7,500. Remember these are prices for traditional liposuction. But many places in Los Angeles of comparable reputation will charge around these prices plus or minus fees here and there.

Keep in mind that large areas like the thigh, tummy, or hips are not usually serviced with laser liposuction procedures although it can be done to small areas within those larger areas. Laser liposuction is usually $200 to $300 less than the traditional procedure but remember that traditional liposuction will do larger areas and laser liposuction will do smaller areas so the prices are a little inflated. Knock an additional $200 to $500 off the traditional liposuction prices quoted above and you get the idea that Los Angeles laser liposuction costs around $2,000 to $4,000 around the face and neck.

In kindergarten economics classes we learned that a decrease in demand would affect liposuction prices in favor of the buyer. This doesn’t appear to be the case as prices for liposuction surgery have seen insignificant to absolutely no drop. The truth of the matter is that liposuction prices, along with other plastic surgery procedures are quite stable in price due to the premium that a specialty skill such as plastic surgery commands. Meanwhile, the cost of plastic surgery will only get higher with the new tax on cosmetic enhancement procedures that will go into effect in the beginning January next year.

Despite the economic down turn, not all industries are suffering. The cosmetic surgery market as a whole has not been hit as hard and is actually still experiencing positive growth rates. Within the industry however there is much upheaval. The number of liposuction procedures has plummeted 19% in 2008 from 2007 according to a survey by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Abdominalplasty was hit with an 18% decline and breast enhancement saw a 12% drop. So how has to plastic surgery market kept afloat? Other procedures such as laser skin-resurfacing and Botox injection have increased by 15 and 8 percent respectfully.

The change in the type of request is not really a big surprise. The high cost of liposuction prices and other large procedures have kept prospective patients away or turned them toward smaller, more affordable alternatives. Older women who can afford to pay for the procedures will continue to receive their injectables and chemical peels. Younger women make up a large portion of breast augmentation patients which helps explain the drop in that particular area. They also rely more heavily on credit to finance their plastic surgery procedure. The tightening of credit by banks definitely had an effect on the number of younger patients.

Liposuction prices are expected to remain more or less on par with previous year figures unless something drastic happens. Expect a surge once the economy recovers since many patients who could afford the costs are simply putting off the procedure because of uncertainty about their job and income source. Once unemployment relents back to normal numbers and the sideline patients feel security about their finances again, we can expect them to jump in all at once. It will be a busy time for plastic surgeons. Let’s just hope that the surge is not enough to warrant a spike in liposuction prices.