Approximately $6300. That's the average cost based on data published by the American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for the calendar year 2003. Total costs could be as low as $4,000 and as high as $10,000 depending on location and surgeon.
It breaks down like this:
- Surgeon's Fee - $3300
- Anesthesiologist's Fee - $700
- Facility Cost - $900
- Implant Cost - $1300
The first half of the 1997 HBO film "Breastmen" starring David Schwimmer and Chris Cooper dramatizes the inception of the breast implant and the early days of breast augmentation surgery. There are a series of scenes where David Schwimmer as a 1960s Houston plastic surgery resident searches for someone to be the first patient, accosts women on the street and asks them if they would like to have their breasts enhanced. He found that he couldn't give them away for free.
Breast augmentation surgery has come a long way since then. Breast augmentation is an elective procedure. That means insurance does not cover it and the responsibility to pay the surgeon and to cover the ancillary costs falls upon the patient. In general, the ancillary fees are fairly constant. The surgeon's fees are variable and dependent on several factors - the state where the surgeon practices (since malpractice insurance quotes are given to surgeons on a per state basis) , office overhead and advertising costs.
Higher surgeon's fees do not ensure superior results or better service. Cheaper fees do not equate to worse results or poor service. Remember this when you get your price quotes - prices have no bearing on the surgeon's skills or expected results. Ensure that the quotes you receive are all inclusive - surgeon's fees + anesthesia + facility + implants + labwork.
Next: So you're going to get breast augmentation surgery. What should you expect before and after surgery?
