A tummy tuck’s surgeon fee alone runs $8,000 to $13,500 in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2024 survey, before anesthesia and the operating room. Practices that publish an all-in fee mostly charge $10,000 to $15,000, and RealSelf patients report paying $12,573 on average. CareCredit’s 2026 study puts a standard tummy tuck at $8,777, a mini at $6,108 and an extended one at $12,356. Health insurance treats the operation as cosmetic.
- Surgeon fee only
- $8,000 to $13,500ASPS, 2024 data
- Average, standard tummy tuck
- $8,777CareCredit, 2026 study
- Patient-reported average
- $12,573RealSelf, 1,218 reviews, May 2024
- South Carolina average
- $7,591 to $8,218CareCredit 2024 study; RealSelf 2023 data
National figures, and what each one counts
| Source | Tummy tuck | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|
| ASPS, 2024 data | $8,000 to $13,500 | Surgeon fee only; leaves out anesthesia, operating room facilities and other expenses |
| ASPS, 2023 average | $8,174 | Surgeon fee only (2022: $7,215) |
| The Aesthetic Society, 2022 | $7,465; $13,801 when combined with other surgery | Labelled “Surgeon Fees: Average Charge” in the report; the Society’s patient pages call the same figures surgeon and facility fees |
| CareCredit, 2026 study | $8,777 (range $5,909 to $15,150) | Inclusions not stated; its 2024 study gave $7,983 |
| RealSelf | $12,573 (range $5,000 to $25,000) | What 1,218 patients say they paid, generally all-in |
| American Board of Cosmetic Surgery guide | $4,000 to $20,000 | Inclusions not stated |
The ASPS figure is the one most often quoted, and it is the surgeon’s fee alone. ASPS’s own cost page still shows the 2023 average of $8,174.
What a tummy tuck bill is made of
Guerra Plastic Surgery Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, splits its published estimate into parts, for a total of $15,200 to $28,200:
| Part | Range |
|---|---|
| Surgeon’s fee | $10,500 to $20,000 |
| Accredited facility and operating room | $2,500 to $4,000 |
| Anesthesia | $1,200 to $2,200 |
| Materials | $1,000 to $2,000 |
Other lines that are often billed apart: muscle repair (Allure Esthetic, Seattle, lists it separately at $1,150), compression garments, prescriptions, lab work and the consultation ($100 at The Plastic Surgery Center, Sacramento). Dr. Brad Gandolfi’s $10,400 in New York and Tessler Plastic Surgery’s $12,500 in Scottsdale are surgeon fees that leave out the facility and anesthesia.
Full, mini and extended tummy tuck cost
| Type | CareCredit 2026 average | RealSelf average | Practice fees, examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full (standard) | $8,777 | $12,573 | Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery, Richmond, $10,000 to $15,000 all-in; Y Plastic Surgery, Atlanta, $11,750; Minneapolis Plastic Surgery $13,000 all-in |
| Mini | $6,108 ($4,233 to $10,246) | $10,213 (713 reviews, July 2023) | DeLuca Plastic Surgery, Albany, $4,660 to $6,310; University of Utah Health $6,050; Lyle Plastic Surgery, Raleigh, $8,750 to $10,500 all-in |
| Extended | $12,356 | Not published | Y Plastic Surgery $13,500; Minneapolis Plastic Surgery $15,000; Cocco Clinique, Dallas, $16,800 to $18,800 after massive weight loss |
| Fleur-de-lis | $13,117 ($9,159 to $22,646) | Not published | None published |
ASPS publishes no mini tummy tuck figure. Two practices contradict themselves: Austin Plastic Surgeon lists its mini ($12,000 to $15,000) above its full tummy tuck ($12,500 to $13,500), and Chicago Breast & Body Aesthetics starts its extended tuck at $10,995, below its $12,995 full one. Lower published fees include The Gallery of Cosmetic Surgery, Lynnwood, at $7,485 and Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery from $8,500 with the operating room and anesthesia; higher ones include Dr. York Yates in Utah at $16,000 to $18,000 and Dr. Hayes in Portland from $21,322 (priced August 2026).
Liposuction or a tummy tuck?
The two are priced differently because they are different operations. Which one suits a given abdomen is a question for a board-certified plastic surgeon who has examined you. On price alone:
- Surgeon fee (ASPS 2024). Liposuction $4,300 to $7,500; tummy tuck $8,000 to $13,500.
- CareCredit 2026. Liposuction of the upper and lower abdomen averages $7,491, a figure its page says leaves out anesthesia, the facility and pre- and post-operative care.
- RealSelf. Liposuction $9,250 from 567 reviews; tummy tuck $12,573.
- Both at once. Affordable Plastic Surgery in Spring Valley, New York, lists a tummy tuck at $14,500 and one with abdominal liposuction at $19,600.
Adding liposuction also adds risk: in a study of 25,478 abdominoplasties, complications ran 3.1% for a tummy tuck alone and 3.8% with liposuction (Winocour, 2015). See liposuction cost.
Does insurance cover a tummy tuck?
No. Cigna’s policy 0027 calls abdominoplasty and mini-abdominoplasty cosmetic for any indication, including abdominal wall laxity and back pain, and BCBS of South Carolina’s CAM 108 calls it cosmetic “for all applications”. Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Anthem agree, and none covers diastasis recti repair. The covered operation is a panniculectomy, which removes a hanging fold of skin and fat for documented skin infection or a functional problem; see skin removal surgery cost and what insurance covers.
Risks and recovery
- Risks. ASPS lists deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications, fluid accumulation (seroma), poor wound healing and skin loss. In Winocour’s study, abdominoplasty had a higher complication rate than other aesthetic procedures; of major complications, 31.5% were hematomas, 27.2% infections and 20.2% blood clots. ISAPS (2024) puts the deep vein thrombosis risk at 0.34%.
- Recovery. The Aesthetic Society gives at least two weeks, a compression garment for several weeks, drains out three to fourteen days after surgery, and no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for four to six weeks. It says to walk the day after surgery.
Tummy tuck cost in South Carolina
- Averages. CareCredit’s 2024 study gives $7,591 for South Carolina, and its 2026 study gives $5,676 for a mini. RealSelf’s state average is $8,218 (February 2023 data).
- Calculator. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery’s calculator gives $4,300 to $9,500, the same for Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Greenville and Columbia ZIP codes.
- Columbia. Plastic Surgery Consultants of South Carolina: $8,000 to $12,000 all-in, covering anesthesia, supplies, its accredited surgery center, follow-ups, garments and complication insurance. Virtu Cosmetic Surgery (also Rock Hill) gives one range, $8,000 to $25,680, for tummy tucks and mommy makeovers together.
- Greenville. Aesthetic Center Greenville: $8,000 to $9,800, inclusions not stated.
- Charleston. Port City Plastic Surgery, Daniel Island: $5,000 to $6,000 on a price list that says the exact cost “including anesthesia and operating room fees” comes at consultation, so it likely leaves both out.
South Carolina hospitals publish separate lines for each part of the bill. AnMed Health in Anderson lists a self-pay surgeon fee of $5,817.78 for a simple abdominoplasty and $7,500 for a complex one (file dated March 6, 2026, which notes no such cases in the prior year). Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia lists a facility charge of $4,207 for a three-hour abdominoplasty and $2,647 for a mini (April 1, 2026), and Beaufort Memorial an outpatient facility cash price of $4,279 (January 1, 2026). A facility line and a surgeon line are two of the three bills; anesthesia is the third.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a tummy tuck?
The surgeon fee alone is $8,000 to $13,500 (ASPS, 2024 data). All-in practice fees mostly fall between $10,000 and $15,000, and RealSelf patients report $12,573 on average.
How much does a mini tummy tuck cost?
CareCredit’s 2026 average is $6,108 nationally and $5,676 in South Carolina. RealSelf patients report $10,213. ASPS publishes no separate mini figure.
Is liposuction cheaper than a tummy tuck?
Usually. The ASPS surgeon fee is $4,300 to $7,500 for liposuction against $8,000 to $13,500 for a tummy tuck. Combining the two costs more than either alone.
Does insurance pay for a tummy tuck?
Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem and BCBS of South Carolina all treat an abdominoplasty as cosmetic. A panniculectomy can be covered when the plan’s criteria are met.
How long is tummy tuck recovery?
The Aesthetic Society says at least two weeks, with no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for four to six weeks. Your surgeon sets your own timeline.
Sources
- ASPS: 2024 statistics report, 2023 statistics report, tummy tuck cost, tummy tuck safety
- The Aesthetic Society: 2022 Databank, tummy tuck, recovery; ISAPS patient safety update (2024); Winocour et al. 2015
- American Board of Cosmetic Surgery: price calculator, tummy tuck guide
- CareCredit: cost table, mommy makeover article, tummy tuck, mini tummy tuck, liposuction
- Insurers: Cigna 0027, BCBS of SC CAM 108, Aetna CPB 0211
- RealSelf, tummy tuck, mini tummy tuck and liposuction cost pages (2023 and 2024), cited as text
- Practices, cited as text: Guerra Plastic Surgery Center; Allure Esthetic; The Gallery of Cosmetic Surgery; The Plastic Surgery Center, Sacramento; Dr. Brad Gandolfi; Tessler Plastic Surgery; Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery; Y Plastic Surgery; Minneapolis Plastic Surgery; DeLuca Plastic Surgery; University of Utah Health; Lyle Plastic Surgery; Cocco Clinique; Austin Plastic Surgeon; Chicago Breast & Body Aesthetics; Pittsburgh Plastic Surgery; Dr. York Yates; Dr. Hayes; Affordable Plastic Surgery (Spring Valley)
- South Carolina, cited as text: Plastic Surgery Consultants of South Carolina; Virtu Cosmetic Surgery; Aesthetic Center Greenville; Port City Plastic Surgery; price-transparency files of AnMed Health (March 6, 2026), Lexington Medical Center (April 1, 2026) and Beaufort Memorial Hospital (January 1, 2026)
Figures retrieved October 2, 2026 from each publisher’s own page. Practice fees change and cover different parts of the bill; a written quote from a surgeon who has examined you governs. Body Sculpting Masters is a publication, not a practice.
