This is a repeat of older blogs but the issue comes up every year so I thought it was worth reminding everyone.

Over the weekend I received several e mails from my Louisville Plastic Surgery practice website inquiring about various procedures I perform. Blepharoplasty, otoplasy, facelifts, tummy tucks, breast reductions, breast lifts and augmentations, and liposuction were all mentioned. At least half of these information requests also were accompanied by inquiries into insurance coverage.

Very simply, Health Insurance never has and never will pay for cosmetic surgery. Any operation we do that is intended to improve your appearance is considered cosmetic. In order for insurance to cover a surgery the “problem” with that particular body part has to negatively affecting your health. And being depressed because you don’t like the way something looks does not count.

If you have a question about your particular case please give my office a call.

Lee Corbett, MD

https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

All posts of this blog are presented by Louisville Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

When I consult with a new patient as a Louisville Plastic Surgeon, their problem is deemed either “cosmetic” or “insurance”.

These designations refer to with whom financial responsibility falls. If a case is considered cosmetic, the financial responsiblity falls with the patient. Insurance will not be billed. There is no fee for these visits. Cosmetic cases are typically Louisville Breast Augmentations, Louisville Tummy Tucks, Louisville Liposuction, Louisville Rhinoplasty, and Louisville Facelifts

If a case is considered reconstructive and the patient expects their insurance to cover the costs of the surgery, their insurance will be billed. In these cases there IS a charge for the consultation.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville, KY Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

If Americans were concerned about Congress getting its grubby hands on their Medicare, wait till it touches their breast implants. Among the ways the Senate health care bill pays for itself is a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery like tummy tucks, face lifts, hair plugs, collagen injections, and any other nonrequired procedures—a proposal known as the “Botax.”

Plastic surgeons, like many of their patients, aren’t smiling. Industry groups like the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have launched campaigns against the tax, arguing not only that it would hurt business during a recession—elective surgeries are down already—but that it doesn’t target the high rollers Congress is aiming for. Furthermore, says Big Knife, taxing cosmetic surgery could sag the economy as a whole, just when it needs a lift most. (The tax would raise an estimated $6 billion.)

The tax seems like an easy populist sell. One imagines the main clientele of plastic surgeons as the cast of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. But the tax isn’t as progressive as it sounds, say surgeons. According to a 2005 survey by the ASPS, one-third of people who get plastic surgery make less than $30,000 a year, 70 percent of clients make less than $60,000, 86 percent make less than $90,000, and only 13 percent make more than $90,000. (Of course, that survey was based on people planning to get elective surgery, not those who actually got it.) Indeed, cosmetic surgery is an industry supported largely by people who can’t afford it—a full 85 percent of operations are paid for using credit, according to Middlebury sociology professor Laurie Essig. As a result, the tax would hit low-income consumers especially hard.

This post was authored by Christopher Beam and found on MSNBC. The information in the story is right on.

Lee Corbett, MD

https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

This is a touchy, but oft asked question I field as a Louisville Plastic Surgeon when patients are considering or are recovering  from surgery.

There are a few rules that apply.

First, after any surgical procedure there is the risk of unwanted bleeding. This is highest in the first 24 hours when 99% of bleeds occur, but the ptoential for bleeding lasts for as long as 2 weeks. So, my recommedation is to avoid any physical activity that increases your pulse and blood pressure during that time interval.

Second, and the most obvious, is comfort. A guideline I offer for all of my patients after any type of surgery is “If it hurts, quit doing it.” Add this one in there as well.

A third factor is based on what part of you we did surgery on. Obviously you will have more freedom if you had your upper eyelids done than if we did a tummy tuck, breast aug, or liposuction of your inner thigh area. Point here is we don’t want the operated area to be traumatized early on and potentially damage your incision or work done under the skin surface.

Those are the factors I consider and so my recommendation is that you give it at least two weeks to avoid bleeding. After that point, you can try things out and let your comfort be your guide. And remember, if it hurts, your body is sending you a message…so quit!

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330