The typical cost of breast augmentation surgery, including implants can vary from low of $5800.00 for saline implants to a high of more than $8500.00 for silicone implants. In some parts of the country ( like New York City for example), breast augmentation surgery can be $10,00 or more. Fortunately in the MidWest the costs are more reasonable. My practice charges $5900 for saline and $7000 for silicone. From time to time we will run specials and these prices can drop significantly. Of course these prices can increase depending on the costs of the implants, supplies, medications and anesthesia related expenses used to perform the surgery. So why such a disparity in costs? It is because there are several factors which make up the entire cost, and each of these factors can vary considerably thereby affecting the bottom line. So by knowing only what the surgeon charges or how much a particular set of implants cost, will be only part of the picture. That is why it is important to get the entire cost.
First there is the surgeon’s fee. Each surgeon’s fee will be different and this may be based on his or her experience , the time involved and how the followup visits are handled. The number of follow up visits and for how long (how many weeks or months) vary from surgeon to surgeon as does who actually sees the follow up patients. Sometimes the doctor spends only a few minutes with a patient in follow up and delegates most of the follow up visit responsibilities to his or her nurses. Also the surgeon’s technique is an important consideration. A transaxillary endoscopic breast augmentation takes more time because the equipment set up time is much more involved, and it is technically more involved than other techniques. Expect to pay a more for this particular technique. The facility may also ask for slightly more if this technique is used because of the expense of the equipment and the time and effort involved with the cleaning and care of this equipment.. At my facility the additional cost is usually on the order of an additional $1000.That covers all additional expenses for transaxillary endoscopic breast augmentation. For patients who are adamant about having no scarring on the breast, this is worth the premium cost.
Next is the Facility /Operating Room (OR) fees and anesthesia services which are another major cost factor. Facility fees and anesthesia services are generally separate fees incurred by the patient, but every once in awhile they are rolled into a single “facility” fee. These fees can vary between facilities as to how they charge for their time and services. Generally hospitals are more expensive than free standing ambulatory surgery facilities and office based surgical facility being the least expensive, but this may not always be the case. Many facilities charge a basic rate for breast augmentation surgery, say for an hour or so of O.R. time with the recovery room being included. Same is usually true for anesthesia services. Anesthesia services may be slightly more if you undergo a general anesthesia versus local with IV sedation. However, if your surgeon goes over the allotted block of time he or she has set aside for you or you are slow to recover from the anesthesia , then the patient is frequently made responsible for these additional charge. So beware of this “add-on” cost which you, the patient can get stuck with. Often times I hear patients tell me how they are told by other physician’s office staff “not to worry”, “that hardly ever happens” etc. The fact is that these “overage” fees can AND do occur.
In fact my own patients have had this unpleasant experience before I built my own facility. This scenario absolutely never occurs at my facility; I guarantee it , so there are no surprises when it comes to the facility and/or anesthesia costs. Surgery is stressful enough for the patient, so there will be NO stressing over this issue.
The last cost factor are the implants themselves. Depending on what type of implant the patient selects (silicone or saline) the cost of the implants can vary from around $1000.00 for saline and about twice that for silicone. Implant manufacturers have their own costs as well, so not all saline or silicone implants will be identical in cost. I do not not charge a premium for silicone augmentation surgery above the actual costs I incur by the manufacturers for the implants themselves. Some practices do charge more for silicone augmentation surgery because of the additional time and effort to close the slightly longer incisions utilized for the silicone implants.
One thing which I stress to patients who are considering breast augmentation, or any type of cosmetic surgery for that matter is that while cost is an important consideration, it should be about the last thing on your list when choosing who performs your surgery or where. The most important consideration is whether or not your surgery will be done #1 safely, and #2 effectively. Then you must have a good overall feel for the surgeon and his staff. Are they highly experienced, do you share them same sense of aesthetics regarding size and shape, do you like the results this particular surgeon obtains, are you comfortable in the presence of the surgeon and staff. All these factors should come into play when making your choice. Whether or not you got your surgery for a discount or for ” a really good deal” will mean nothing if you are not happy and healthy afterwards….food for thought.