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Why Rhinoplasty Costs Have No Correlation With Satisfaction
Every doctor has a different way of setting a fee for his service. Some base it on nature of the procedure alone. Others base it on the time taken. And, of course, there are overhead factors such as the cost of staff and use of an outpatient surgery operating room. Also, remember there are the services of the anesthesia specialist, either a certified registered nurse anesthetist or a physician-anesthesiologist.
Some surgeons who are efficient and can well-perform a cosmetic nasal surgery operation can charge less because the overhead is less. Other surgeons choose to charge sky-high fees preferring to operate on a limited number of patients each year. Frankly, that has drawbacks for both patient and doctor. The drawback for the patient, of course, is that they are overpaying. The drawback for the doctor is that by deliberately limiting his practice, he tends not to perform as many procedures and it is performance of a large number of procedures which keeps one's manual skills at a high level.
Beware of ultra-low fees. Sometimes practices, as a marketing strategy, position themselves to attract patients strictly by low fees. Invariably though, there is some reduction in service. It may be that the fee quoted does not include the outpatient surgery center. One should ask if it also includes the services of a certified registered nurse anesthetist or a doctor-anesthesiologist. Typically, a doctor-anesthesiologist's fees are a bit higher but, after all, they are physicians. Some people do prefer to have two doctors in the operating room: the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. Also, ask if medications are included. Incidentally, even the type of anesthesia has cost consequences. Be sure to ask whether you are going to be awake for the operation which certainly costs the surgeon less, or whether or not you are going to have sedative or general anesthesia, the costs of which are greater. But, of course, you need to decide what you are comfortable with. Sometimes a low price is no bargain.
— Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
Some surgeons who are efficient and can well-perform a cosmetic nasal surgery operation can charge less because the overhead is less. Other surgeons choose to charge sky-high fees preferring to operate on a limited number of patients each year. Frankly, that has drawbacks for both patient and doctor. The drawback for the patient, of course, is that they are overpaying. The drawback for the doctor is that by deliberately limiting his practice, he tends not to perform as many procedures and it is performance of a large number of procedures which keeps one's manual skills at a high level.
Beware of ultra-low fees. Sometimes practices, as a marketing strategy, position themselves to attract patients strictly by low fees. Invariably though, there is some reduction in service. It may be that the fee quoted does not include the outpatient surgery center. One should ask if it also includes the services of a certified registered nurse anesthetist or a doctor-anesthesiologist. Typically, a doctor-anesthesiologist's fees are a bit higher but, after all, they are physicians. Some people do prefer to have two doctors in the operating room: the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. Also, ask if medications are included. Incidentally, even the type of anesthesia has cost consequences. Be sure to ask whether you are going to be awake for the operation which certainly costs the surgeon less, or whether or not you are going to have sedative or general anesthesia, the costs of which are greater. But, of course, you need to decide what you are comfortable with. Sometimes a low price is no bargain.
— Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
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