Dieting and proper exercise has been recommended as being the most effective combination for weight loss and a slimmer body. Despite this, there are still a significant number of people who choose to go under the knife. And one of the most common procedures for getting rid of that excess fat is known as abdominoplasty, or the tummy tuck. In 2008, about 150,000 men and women had this, making it the fifth most popular surgical cosmetic procedure in the US. How does it work?

In this procedure, excess fat is surgically removed from the body via a vacuum, and the skin on the abdominal area is stretched before sutures are made, thus resulting in a tight and firm midsection. When undergoing a tummy tuck, you generally have to pay for the anesthesiologist, the clinic or facility, and the cosmetic surgeon who will perform the abdominoplasty. So what is the average cost of a tummy tuck?

Tummy tucks of today may cost you anywhere from $5,000 to $9,000. To be more specific, surgeon fees will be about $4,000, facility fees are $700, and anesthesiologist fees may be anywhere from $500 and above.

Trends from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that there was a small percentage of increase in the number of tummy tucks from 2006 to 2007. The following year, from 2007 to 2008, there was an 18 percent decrease in the number of abdominoplasty procedures done. Hopefully, this significant lowering is due to the smarter health choices that people make, rather than because the recession has made a lot of things more costly. Regardless of this, having known the average cost of a tummy tuck these days, you might want to think twice about undergoing such a procedure, and perhaps consider safer and more affordable alternatives.