Muffin Top Mom

I am 37, a mother of 5 and am losing weight...I am finding my midsection will never be the same.  I know it will never be perfect, but it could be ALOT better.  I don't have alot of money and what I do has to spent on my children.  I was wondering if there were any doctors in the Des Moines area that do pro bono work???

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

I am frequently asked in this forum for referrals to surgeons who perform free cosmetic surgery.  It is often overlooked that performing surgery does not merely consist of the professional fee, but also the overhead of running an office (rent, office staff and nursing salaries, malpractice and other liability insurance, etc).  In addition there are substantial fees involved in running an operating room and for anesthesia care.  Many plastic surgeons do perform free services for patients who have traumatic and congenital defects.

So to find someone to actually do cosmetic surgery at no no charge is not likely.  I have, however, suggested that patient seeking reduced charges for these procedures seek out nearby university teaching centers, where discounted services may be offered for cosmetic surgery performed by supervised residents in training.