Cost of surgery?

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#1 Post by **Monroeski** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:39 am

Though I've basically known I would need braces and lower advancement surgery to correct my overbite for quite a while, yesterday I finally went to the Orthodontist and got it confirmed. He gave me the name of his #1 oral surgeon, but when I got home I noticed that he's not on my insurance. I put together a list of area docs that ARE covered, and sent it to him, so now I'm waiting to see how comfortable he is with any of the choices, but while I'm waiting for that I'm preparing for the possibility that he is going to once again seriously recommend the #1 guy.

My first priority is to get my jaw fixed, so I'm not totally dead set against paying out of pocket, but I only have so much money available. I haven't found much info on how much these types of things cost. I will likely have at least 10 months until I go under the knife anyway, so I should be able to save up for it when it comes, but could anyone else share how much their total surgery cost was (meaning not just what you paid if you have insurance, but the TOTAL cost of everything)?

#2 Post by **ctoler1920** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:32 am

If he keeps recommending his #1 guy that means$$$$$$$$$ out of your pocket especially if he is not in your network. I just got approved for my surgery on both jaws and the surgery was around $20,000 and the surgeon was about $14,000. I don't have my total out of pocket expense because I was so happy that I was approved with all the drama of my first insurance company.

#3 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:48 pm

My surgery from start to finish. including the hospital stay (which was only overnight) was $54,000. I could've never afforded it without insurance. The surgeon costs alone were $26,000. Now I mind you I had upper, lower, and genio. But I would say a conservative estimate without insurance (depending on how long you have to stay in the hospital would be around $35.000. That is a lot of money out of pocket!

I would do everything I can to get one of your network provider doctors, however, with that being said. The surgeon is the most important person in this whole process. You want a good one, a really good one! So depending on what your ortho recommends you will have to give that some serious thought. Many doctors reduce their rates if they know a person is paying out of pocket so you may want to ask that doctor for a treatment cost estimate if you are doing that.

Brandy

#4 Post by **4beauty4symmetry** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:58 pm

That's a huge difference in cost between you two, Meryaten and Brandy--I'm wondering if Alaska tends to be more expensive for losta things? Or is it that you had more done?

M, does a midline osteotomy mean they moved your upper jaw from side to side, or did they expand it? Or both?

It's going to cost me 9k for BSSO (mandibular setback), LeFort !, genioplasty, and two anchor implants, for my bottom two molars. That includes one night in the hospital.

#5 Post by **Brandyleigh35** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:07 pm

Alaska tends to be about 40% higher in terms of medical costs, however, the numbers I gave you are pretty standard for upper, lower, and genio, or MMA surgery in most locations. My friend had all of these and spent three days in the hospital. She was at Stanford in California and her bill was about $75,000. When I first got into all this I was told that $60,000 is pretty normal for this procedure. I actually got out pretty cheaply.

The other surgeon in town, who did upper and lower jaws on a guy I know charges, (just for his costs) $20,000 per jaw, plus then you have the hospital expenses. Now perhaps lower is considerably less expensive. My $26,000 included upper, lower, genio, and a lower molar bone graft. Without the last two it came down to about $22,00, so roughly $11,000 per jaw. Hospital is what is the killer. My hospital cost was $26,000 for one night!!!! That is just insane!

Brandy

#6 Post by **smile2006** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:26 am

I also had upper, lower and genio. When all was said an done mine was a hair over 30,000 (if i remember correctly) with two nights in the hospital. I think there are some regional variations in cost. Mine was covered by insurance, even the genio which was a pleasant bonus. Then apparently, my insurance company didn't pay out at the contracted rate so my surgoen filed my surgery as a tax loss which translated to me ending up paying nothing out of pocket but my $300 deductible, a blessing indeed! I was refunded the $2,000 I paid to my surgeon as my out of pocket.

#7 Post by **Monroeski** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:02 am

Gave the doc a list of 30 or so oral surgeons who were on my insurance, and he found one that he was comfortable with, so it looks like I dodged the bullet on that one.

I don't think he was necessarily pushing the #1 guy because of money (though of course that's always a factor), but I think he was just going with the surgeons nearby that he's familiar with. My orthodontist is located in a very affluent area, so a lot of the guys around there don't necessarily need to accept insurance to be able to get paid, or at least they don't need to be on the "in-network" part of most plans. That was my main problem, is that my insurance pays nothing if you go out of network.

Just out of curiosity, I went onto the websites of a few other insurance plans I'm offered through work, and I was surprised at the low percentage of area oral surgeons who are actually in the networks.

#8 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:39 pm

I just got my bill from the hospital for my one-night stay. The damn thing almost beat me home. Nothing like trying to recover with that thing staring you in the face. I had BSSO, mandibular midline osteotomy, and one implant done and just the hospital's charges were $22,000. I still haven't received the doc's bill yet and I'm sure anybody else that happened to walk by and look at me will probably send something too.

Smile, you're lucky that that's all you had to pay. Wow!

4beauty, I contacted an OS in San Jose when I thought my insurance wasn't going to cover mine. He quoted me $7,000 for everything including 2 weeks at a "recovery house" with all meals provided. It might be the same doctor. He and his staff were very friendly.

#9 Post by **4beauty4symmetry** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:50 pm

I'm sure it was. How long ago was that when he gave you the quote?

Did anyone say what hospital or clinic the proceedure would take place in?

Mine is 7500--not including the two implants, or the recovery retreat--I'm arranging for my own place and paying for it.

You had just the lower jaw worked on--I'm having the upper and a genioplasty.

Still, I wonder. . .

#10 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:03 pm

It was in July. His name is Dr. Fishel. He didn't tell me which hospital or clinic it would be at. I was in the process of appealing my insurance company's denial, and I just wanted to have a plan B in the works. I was really excited about going but then my insurance came through. I'd still like to go sometime though just to do some sightseeing. If I go while you're there, I'll swing by and fix you some milkshakes. I've become quite the Rachel Ray of blending foods!

Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:16 pm

I can feel a slow burn coming on. . .that is for the moment stayed by some back of the envelope math.

Taking out the cost of your implant, and the cost of that recovery retreat, which I stayed at for my Sarpe, and booked on my own, the difference in cost between our two proceedures is $2440.

Now you had a midline osteotomy, which I gather is medspeak for they widened your lower jaw at the same as they brought it forward.

I'm having the upper and a genio. So perhaps that's 'worth' 2440 and I can calm down.

Of course, what still perplexes me is that your price would also include the cost to the concierge, Carolyn--I assume that's who you were in contact with?

Btw, it is the same OMS whose going to cut and paste my facial skeleton on Nov 3rd.

#12 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:33 pm

4beauty,

The $7,000 quote he gave me was for this:

Doctor Fees, Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon and the anesthesiologist,
operating and recovery room, overnight stay at the hospital following
surgery, pre-operative test (lab work/EKG)/Evaluation by internist
specialist, pre-operative antibiotic and pain medication, 8 days
accommadation, meals, post cares, transportation to and
from hospital, transfer in/out airport, all follow-up appointments.

It did not include the midline osteotomy nor the implant. That was something my OS came up with on my presurgical workup that he did a week before.

#13 Post by **nervouschrissy** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:37 pm

Wow!!!
You guys all paid so much!!!
In Canada (ontario) the govt pays for everything except $2700.00 which my insurance paid.
I had no idea that it cost so much!!!

Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:03 pm

Your post makes me feel much better.

Because so many foreigners, mostly Americans, go to Costa Rica for medical and dental services, primarily cosmetic (anything from facelifts to dental implants to root canals) there are several recovery retreats that offer this:

"8 days
accommadation, meals, post cares, transportation to and
from hospital, transfer in/out airport, all follow-up appointments"

They are fairly competitive with each other--85/night for a single person in a single room.

So if I subtract the recovery retreat cost from the 7k he quoted you, I'm left with a 1180 price difference between the two of us--which seems fine to me, as the price he quoted me includes genio and upper.

For my Sarpe, I was pleasantly suprised when the hospital charged me about 300 less than I thought I would have to pay. It was also nice to be given all my prescription meds by the nurse when I was in the recovery room, as I had been dreading having to go stand in line at the pharmacy window. Perhaps that's something they do in Canada or in other countries.

Thank you so much for entering in this information, Pokergirl, sometimes I can get so hot under the collar I risk spontaneous combustion.

#15 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:14 pm

4beauty,

That sounds about right. He did say if I needed a chin implant (which I'm assuming would be the genio) it would be another $500.