How Much Does a Painting Cost?
I recently posted on www.realself.com an answer to a question about “how much_______ costs?” That is such a hard question to answer and, honestly, is not the right question to ask.
My response was framed around me answering a similar question, “how much does a painting cost?” The comparison in the query reveals that the variation in costs between surgical services is precisely like that between costs of paintings.
If a local painter, or your neighbor’s child listed an object of their creation for sale, you’d likely be stunned if they charged a fee similar to what you would pay if you could buy the Mona Lisa. You’re really getting a different product/service, although they’re both “paintings”.
I could draw another easy analogy by asking, “how much does court time cost if I want to rent out a basketball court?”. If I’m renting time at the home court for the Miami Heat, I would surely not expect to pay the same for time at the local YMCA. The are different and are priced differently.
Although breast augmentation costs or tummy tuck costs are important considerations, you should consider any surgical procedure such as a tummy tuck or breast augmentation to be a variable product or service. Outcomes are different from surgeon to surgeon and from office to office. Because you are purchasing an “experience” and not just a commodity like a pair of implants, it’s important to realize you are indeed comparing apples to oranges when using price or cost as a determining factor.
We know how vitally important the first surgical procedure is for patient happiness and success. It makes perfect sense (and is probably rather illogical to do otherwise) to invest time on the frond-end and carefully evaluate your surgeon so that you don’t end up sacrificing on the quality of the surgeon and the surgical team.
Therefore, I’d strongly urge every prospective patient to seek out the most qualified and experienced surgeon for their treatment. If you are basing your decisions on cost alone, be aware that the joy of saving money in the beginning may quickly be erased by the tears of a bad choice later.
Dr. Brzowski is a Board Certified and highly experienced Plastic Surgeon that specializes in breast, body and facial procedures. Dr. Brzowski and his staff see patients in their Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah office locations.
