Asking how much breast implants are can mean the devices or the operation, and the published figures answer the second. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons gives an average cost of breast augmentation with implants of $4,875, a surgeon fee that does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses. The implants themselves are bought by the practice and appear inside a quote rather than as a line a patient shops for separately.
Ask providers for a written price
Why you cannot price the devices on their own
Implants are supplied to practices, not to patients, and a practice prices the operation rather than the hardware. Different shells, fills and profiles carry different costs to the practice, and those differences are usually reflected in a quote as a band rather than as a line item. So the useful question is not what does an implant cost but what does this practice quote for the operation with the implant it recommends, and what changes if a different one is used.
The fat grafting alternative, and what it costs instead
ASPS publishes a separate average for breast augmentation with fat grafting, $5,719, above the implant figure. That surprises people who expect using your own tissue to be cheaper, and the reason is that fat grafting is two operations in one: a harvest by liposuction and then the transfer. It is a longer procedure, and the published surgeon fee reflects that.
What replacement and revision policy is worth
Devices do not last indefinitely and a proportion of patients will have a further operation. Whether a practice carries a stated revision fee, and what the device manufacturer's own warranty covers, are price terms worth having in writing before the first operation. ASPS notes that most health insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery or its complications, so a revision is another self-pay event unless somebody has agreed otherwise in advance.
Other questions people ask
How much are breast implants in the US?
The published figure is for the operation: the ASPS average cost of breast augmentation with implants is $4,875, a surgeon fee excluding anesthesia, facility and related expenses.
Can I buy the implants separately?
No. They are supplied to practices and priced inside the operation, usually as a band that moves with the device chosen.
Is fat transfer cheaper than implants?
No. ASPS publishes $5,719 for breast augmentation with fat grafting against $4,875 with implants, because the fat operation includes a liposuction harvest.
What about replacing them later?
A further operation is a further self-pay event unless a practice has a written revision policy. Ask for it before the first operation.