Average Price For Breast Augmentation

In this article we will provide information on breast augmentation risks and types of breast implants, What can influence the average cost of breast augmentation?, Does my health insurance cover breast augmentation?  and so much more.

Breast Augmentation

The breast augmentation procedure, which is often referred to as a “boob job” or “augmentation mammaplasty” on occasion, continues to be one of the most popular types of cosmetic surgery. In the year 2020, more than 250,000 people in the United States had it done. In the process of augmentation, the size and appearance of one or both breasts can be altered by either moving fat from the body to the breasts or by placing artificial implants. Additionally, the cost of this procedure is not covered by health insurance coverage, just like it is not covered by other types of cosmetic surgery.

On the other hand, breast reconstruction is not the same thing as breast augmentation. In the event that a breast cancer patient has undergone a mastectomy and desires reconstructive surgery later, the majority of private insurance plans are required by federal law to pay the reconstruction procedure.

As for cosmetic breast augmentation surgery, however, you will almost probably be responsible for paying for it out of your own pocket. After reading this, you will have a better understanding of how much it is likely to cost and the factors that can influence the price.

How much does breast augmentation surgery cost?

According to the evaluations of 561 patients who included the amount of money they paid for breast implants, the average cost of receiving breast implants is $6,805.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) estimates that the average cost of breast augmentation surgery is $4,294. However, it is important to note that this figure only accounts for the fee that the surgeon charges. This is a huge increase from the average cost of $4,294. Your ultimate bill may be increased by thousands of dollars due to the cost of anesthesia, the fee for the surgical facility, and other additional expenses.

The total cost of breast augmentation surgery can range anywhere from $3,500 to over $10,000, according to patient reviews. This is contingent upon a number of factors, including the specifics of your breast augmentation surgery, the credentials of your surgeon, the location where your procedure is performed, the type of implant you select, the type of anesthesia you have, who administers it, and another few factors.

Breast Augmentation: Insurance, Average Prices, and Procedures

Key takeaways:

• Health insurance plans don’t cover breast augmentation surgery for cosmetic purposes.
• As of 2020, the average surgeon’s fee for this procedure is $4,866.
• The total cost for breast augmentation can range from $6,000 to $12,000. This includes fees for the surgeon and the hospital or facility, plus anesthesia, medical tests, and prescription medications.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported in 2019 that the total cost of breast augmentation was between $6,000 and $12,000. One reason for the broad price range is the plastic surgeon’s fee. The average fee for a typical breast augmentation in 2020 was $4,866, according to the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Databank. 

The surgeon’s fee can vary based on:

• Their level of experience
• The market prices in your local area
• The specifics of the procedure

Other surgical considerations, discussed below, will affect the cost as well.

What can influence the average cost of breast augmentation? 

Beyond the plastic surgeon’s fee, the overall cost of breast augmentation will include such expenses as:

• Hospital or surgical-facility operating room fee
• Cost of anesthesia
• Medical tests
• Post-surgery garments, such as a compression bra to control post-op swelling
• Prescription drugs, such as pain medication

The facility where the surgery takes place makes a big difference in your total cost. For insured people, surgery can cost more than twice as much if performed at a hospital rather than an ambulatory care center. This may not be the case for people paying out of pocket, though.

You can find out facility-fee details ahead of your breast augmentation surgery. The No Surprises Act allows you to request binding good-faith cost estimates for the procedure from your area’s hospitals or ambulatory care centers. Once you have facility-fee information from those estimates, you can ask your doctor to do the surgery at a facility you can afford.

The FAIR Health website helps you zero in on the costs for people who are paying out of pocket. In Columbus, Ohio, for example: 

• The average uninsured cost of inserting a single breast implant is $2,752.
• You’d also have to pay $2,151 for anesthesia.

The biggest expense can often be the facility fee, which varies widely. 

• In Columbus, this fee is estimated to be $20,162 for an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) or $9,502 for an outpatient hospital.
• In Chicago, by contrast, the price difference is smaller. The ASC fee would cost $17,285, while the hospital outpatient fee would be $15,556.

What else can affect the price of breast augmentation?

The technique and materials that your plastic surgeon uses will help determine your overall costs. Discussing these aspects with your doctor is also the best way to get the result you want. You and your doctor should talk about your desired breast shape, size, surface texture, incision site, and type and placement of the implant or fat transfer.

Additional procedures may add to the cost. One example is moving the nipples. A surgeon’s average fee for nipple cosmetic surgery in 2020 was $1,739.

It’s also important to tell your surgeon about any history of breast surgery, such as whether and how your breasts have been augmented, reduced, or otherwise altered in the past. Be sure to tell the doctor how your body reacted at the time. These details will influence their surgical decisions.

Breast augmentation size

When it comes to cost, implant size doesn’t matter. Larger implants cost the same as smaller ones. This is true whether you’re getting silicone or saline implants.

Here, again, you’ll want to have a detailed conversation with your surgeon. Discuss your desired breast size and how much it would differ from the existing breast. This will help the doctor decide on the best surgical approach.

Breast augmentation techniques 

To make the breasts larger, the surgeon inserts either artificial breast implants or fat transferred from another part of the body.

Breast implants are the more common choice. Manufacturers offer many options to choose from. Beyond the basic materials — saline-filled or silicone-filled — implants may also have different shapes, structures, and textures.

Silicone vs. saline breast implants

If you’ve decided on artificial breast implants, the choice of silicone versus saline can greatly affect the cost. Generally, silicone implants are more expensive. In one 2019 study, researchers found that saline implants cost about $1,300 less than silicone implants and lasted about 5 years longer.

Fat-transfer augmentation

This type of breast augmentation — also called fat grafting, lipofilling, or living-fat transfer — is becoming more popular, in part because there’s no insertion of silicon or saline and no need for anesthesia.

Instead, the doctor moves fat tissue from one spot on your body to another. Using liposuction, they take your own fat from one part of the body, such as the belly, sides of the abdomen, back, or thighs. The surgical team purifies the fat through washing, filtering, or other methods. The surgeon then injects it into the breast to get the desired shape.

Fat transfer yields a relatively subtle increase in breast size. People get more volume at the top of their breasts or increased definition of their cleavage.

Surgeons’ average fee for breast fat grafting was $3,318 in 2020, according to the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Databank.

Nipple augmentation

This secondary procedure changes the appearance of the nipple and areolas. It may involve repositioning or raising the nipple, improving symmetry, increasing or decreasing the nipple’s size, or changing how far it projects.

Post-surgery costs

You should expect certain follow-up care expenses. As mentioned above, these could include:

• Post-operative garments, such as a compression bra
• Follow-up appointments
• Medical tests
• Prescriptions for pain medication

If you need to have additional surgery because of implant problems or because you want to further revise your breasts’ appearance, a new set of costs will apply. However, if the implant warranty from the original surgery is still in effect, it may cover some of those costs.

Can I finance breast augmentation surgery? 

Many plastic surgeons offer financing options or payment plans. You can also pay for your surgery with a healthcare credit card such as CareCredit. Be sure to keep a close eye on the payment terms and interest rate, though. This is especially important if you decide to take advantage of a no-interest offer. If you still have a balance at the end of the set introductory period (often 6 to 24 months), you’ll have to pay interest at an annual percentage rate (APR) as high as 26.99%.

You can also look for online lenders that offer healthcare loans, such as Prosper Healthcare Lending. It offers 60-month loans with rates between 7.95% to 36.00% APR. Depending on your credit history, you may well get a better rate from your regular credit card or a personal loan.

Does my health insurance cover breast augmentation? 

Probably not. Most health insurance plans don’t cover cosmetic surgery for breast enlargement or any other surgery intended solely to change the appearance of your breasts. They also don’t cover any complications that may result from this type of surgery.

Also, bear in mind that some insurance plans won’t cover treatment for breast diseases that could occur after you’ve had breast implants.

In short, undergoing breast augmentation surgery can expose you to financial and health risks. Before scheduling the surgery, it’s wise to review your health plan’s specific coverage rules for breast augmentation and other related conditions.

How much does breast augmentation cost?

The average cost of breast augmentation surgery is $4,516, according to the most recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This average cost is only part of the total price – it does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses. Please consult with your plastic surgeon’s office to determine your final fee.

A surgeon’s fee for breast augmentation will be based on his or her experience, the type of procedure used and the geographic office location.

Many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans for breast augmentation, so be sure to ask.

Breast augmentation costs may include:

• Anesthesia fees
• Hospital or surgical facility costs
• Medical tests
• Post-surgery garments
• Prescriptions for medication
• Surgeon’s fee

When choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area for breast augmentation, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

Breast augmentation and health insurance

Most health insurance plans will not cover cosmetic breast augmentation costs, related complications or another surgery to revise the appearance of your breasts.

Some carriers even exclude breast diseases in patients who have breast implants.

Carefully review your health insurance policy before having your breast augmentation.

How much does breast augmentation cost?

One of the most common questions about breast augmentation is, “How much do breast implants costs?”

While it’s impossible to know at first glance exactly how much this procedure will cost for any one person, there are ballpark estimates available. For example, a breast augmentation can range in price from $6,000 to $12,000. But why such a broad range in pricing?

Breast augmentations can range in pricing due to many factors. Learning about these factors can help patients better prepare and plan for what could be one of the most life and confidence-enhancing procedures available, and everything that goes into determining the cost so that you can make the most informed decision possible.

Factors that determine implant cost
Type of implant
There is a difference in cost between silicone implants and saline breast implants. Silicone implants are more expensive than their saline counterparts because it is more expensive to manufacture and distribute medical-grade silicone versus saline implants, which is comprised of sterile salt water. Saline implants, as a result, are much cheaper to produce.

Geographical location
Believe it or not, where you choose to have your surgery performed can have a big impact on how much you pay.

Typically, cosmetic plastic surgeries that take place in larger, metropolitan areas and cities, where the cost of living is much higher, will cost more than those that are performed in smaller cities and geographic areas. The higher cost of living plus a higher demand for these surgeries often translate into higher prices for almost everything.

For example, a breast augmentation may cost more in Houston than it does in Chicago, while a breast augmentation in Atlanta may cost less than it does Chicago.

Ultimately, it may be practical to plan to travel to a different city or state if there is a dramatic cost difference with a plastic surgeon you feel comfortable with.

Experience of the plastic surgeon
Another factor that impacts the cost of a breast augmentation is the surgeon and facility you choose. Often, surgeons with extensive experience, significant credentials and specialized training will cost more than those with less experience or training. This is not to say that the most expensive surgeon is the best one for you, but it is common to see higher prices from Surgeons who charge more based on their level of expertise.

It’s important to remember that you should seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon whose methods and aesthetic style match well with your goals. Breast augmentation can be a life-altering experience, so it’s always better to choose a surgeon based not just on cost, but experience and training.

Related fees
Other fees that you will encounter for implant surgery include the following:

Anesthesia
Surgical facility costs
Surgeon’s fees
Post-procedure medications
Post-surgery garments
Ways to manage the cost of breast augmentation
Though breast augmentations are not typically covered by insurance, most established and reputable plastic surgeons will provide a variety of options to help make breast augmentations and other procedures affordable and accessible.

Look into financing options
Because cosmetic plastic surgery has become so popular over the years, there is an increasing number of options to help patients manage the cost.

Plastic surgery offices often accept major credit cards and/or have a payment plan in place to help make fees manageable. Additionally, plastic surgeons can extend financing, like CareCredit, to patients who qualify, making breast augmentations more affordable and accessible.

It may also be possible to get a secured or unsecured personal loan from your bank. These types of loans usually have similar interest rates to credit cards, but unlike credit cards, the rates and timetables for repayment are fixed. This is an attractive option for anyone with decent credit.

Your plastic surgeon can help you reach your goals
Breast enhancement can be a wonderful, positive experience that boosts your happiness and self-confidence. If you’re concerned about the cost, consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can give you more information on ways to manage the financial burden so that you can take the next step in looking and feeling your best.

What is the average cost of breast augmentation surgery?

What is the total cost of breast augmentation surgery?
Feb 25th 2021
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of breast augmentation surgery (augmentation mammaplasty), is $3,947, based on statistics from 2019.

This is the base price for average breast implant costs across the United States. This does not include the price for anesthesia, operating room facilities, or other related costs. In other words, the average prices for breast implants can actually be much higher—between $5,000 and $10,000.

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Factors that can vary how much for breast augmentation

There are a number of things that can go into breast augmentation surgery costs in 2021. One factor that could contribute to an increase in breast implant costs is the pandemic and its effect on the economy.

In addition to a potentially slower manufacturing process that could make certain types of implants harder to find, there is a cost associated with the extra precautions needed for sanitizing the consultation room and the surgical suite before and after visits or the surgery.

Additional cost factors

Other factors that could contribute to breast enhancement surgery cost include hard costs—such as how much experience the surgeon has, the types of implants you want, and the cost-of-living in the state where your surgery will be performed—as well as soft costs such as medical tests, post-surgery garments, prescription medications, and others.

Why consider it?

Just as there are a number of factors that can contribute to average breast implant cost, there are even more reasons why a woman may opt to have the surgery.

Some may just want to add to the size and shape of their breasts to increase their confidence, others may want reconstructive surgery after having a mastectomy because of breast cancer.

Types of implants

There are two basic types of implants that can be used for breast augmentation: Saline & Silicone breast implants. There are some other structural implants that can be used and there are various pros and cons for each.

Silicone and saline breast implants
The best way to find what will work best for you is to meet with a qualified plastic surgeon for a medical evaluation, and to get a better estimate on prices of breast augmentations.

Age restrictions

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires that women be at least 18 years old for saline breast implants, and at least 22 for silicone.

Your surgeon will also discuss other factors that contribute to a patient being a good candidate for breast augmentation.

Possible complications

Breast augmentation is considered a cosmetic procedure. However, it is still surgery and there are always potential risks involved, including:

Pain
Bleeding
Infection
Scarring
Changes in the sensitivity of the breasts and/or nipples
Difficulty with breastfeeding
Implant structural rupture and leakage
Recovery after Breast Augmentation surgery

Patients may feel pain and swelling around the surgery site for a few days following the surgery. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to control any discomfort, but your doctor may prescribe pain medication. Your surgeon may also insert drainage tubes after the surgery which can be removed after a few days.

You may need to wear a surgical bra during the healing process and you should refrain from any heavy lifting for four to six weeks. Your surgeon may allow some easy, low-impact activities such as walking during your recovery.

Long-term care

Under normal circumstances, you should be able to enjoy your implants for many years to come with very little maintenance needed.

However, they are not meant to last a lifetime and may need to be removed if you encounter any complications.

It is also recommended that women who opt for silicone implants should get an MRI three years after the surgery, then every two years following to check for leakage.

Breast Augmentation Risks

Risks associated with breast augmentation surgery include:

• Anesthesia dangers
• Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) or other extremely uncommon malignancies in the breast capsule, like breast implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma, may develop after receiving a breast implant (BIA-SCC)
• Bleeding
• changes in the breast or nipple sensation
• Fluid buildup (seroma) (seroma)
• Development of tight scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture) (capsular contracture)
• rupture or leaking of a hematoma implant
• Infection
• chronic discomfort
• shabby scarring
• Possibility of revision surgery
• Skin wrinkling near the implant
• Improper or incorrect location of the implant
• Before you give your consent, all risks, including this ones, will be clearly disclosed. It’s crucial that you ask your plastic surgeon all of your questions up front.

Types Of Breast Implants

Breast implants made of silicone and saline
Breast implants come in two basic varieties: silicone gel and saline.

Saline-filled implants have sterile salt water inside silicone casings (saline). Some are already filled, while others are filled as the implant is being placed.

The silicone shells of these implants are filled with a plastic gel (silicone).