5 Minute Read:
Many women are unhappy with the appearance of their breasts. Whether women want larger, more voluminous breasts, are unhappy with the overly large size of their breasts, or simply want to have their sagging breasts lifted to a more youthful position, plastic surgeries for the breasts are some of the most common procedures performed each and every year.
In fact, breast augmentation surgery has been one of the top five most performed cosmetic surgical procedures each year since 2006. [Read full report in PDF]
As with many plastic surgery procedures and treatments, a common concern for many women is what their breast surgery cost will be.
While the exact breast enhancement cost varies with each patient and depends on several different factors, here is some information that can better help you understand what goes into the overall cost of your breast surgery.
What Breast Surgery Procedures Are Offered?
At Plastic Surgery Specialist of Birmingham, Alabama, we are happy to offer several breast surgery options to help enhance your breast aesthetic and give you improved confidence. After your breast surgery, you’ll likely feel more confident wearing the clothing you’ve always wanted but never felt like you had the figure to pull off, and you’ll be turning heads for all the right reasons.
The breast surgery options we offer include:
- Breast augmentation surgery: improving the size, volume, symmetry, and shape of your breasts with the use of breast implants
- Breast lift surgery (mastopexy): raising the breasts to a higher, perkier, more youthful position as well as correcting any asymmetry in the breast height
- Breast reduction surgery: reducing the size of overly large breasts to give you a more natural look and to relieve pain associated with heavy breasts
- Breast revision surgery: correcting/adjusting/retouching a previous breast enhancement by either removing implants permanently or by removing older implants and replacing them with new implants
What Affects My Breast Surgery Cost?
The price of any plastic surgery procedure is dependent on several factors and varies from patient to patient. This means that there is no simple menu with set prices to choose from.
Some of the factors that affect the price of your breast surgery include:
- Surgeons fee: the general fee charged by the plastic surgeon performing the procedure.
- Anesthesia: local anesthesia, general anesthesia, or sedation all cost different amounts
- Facility fee: the price charged by the hospital or surgical center to use the room for the procedure as well as any instruments used
- Location: a location with many plastic surgery providers will tend to have a lower price than a location with only one or two plastic surgery providers — geographical location is also a factor
- Pre-surgical appointments: the appointments that you have before your procedure, which include evaluation of the surgical area and preparation for the procedure
- Post-surgical dressings: the compression garment and/or surgical bra that need to be worn during your recovery
How Do Breast Implants Affect the Cost of Breast Augmentation Surgery?
For breast augmentation surgery, implants are used to add size and volume to the breasts. For this procedure, either silicone implants or saline implants are used.
Silicone implants are made of silicone rubber encased in various other materials, while saline implants are primarily composed of salt water. Silicone implants tend to cost much more than saline implants.
How Do Different Incisions Affect the Cost of Breast Reduction or Breast Lift Surgery?
There are several different incision techniques that are used for both breast reduction or breast lift surgery. Some of the standard incision techniques include:
- Short-scar vertical technique: incision is made around the areola and then extends down the lower breast pole
- Anchor-T scar technique: incision is made around the areolas, down the lower breast pole, and then along the inframammary fold (the crease beneath the breast)
- No vertical scar (horizontal) technique: horizontal incision is made under the breast
Generally speaking, the more complex the mastopexy (breast lift) component is, the higher the cost of the procedure. This is because more time is needed by your plastic surgeon for the actual incision, and more sutures are needed to close the incision. However, this can vary from operation to operation.
How Do Combination Procedures Affect the Cost of My Breast Surgery?
Whether it be breast augmentation combined with a breast lift, or breast reduction combined with a breast lift, combining your breast surgery procedures can reduce the overall cost of your procedures.
This is because you are having the surgeries performed at the same time, so there is no need to pay double for some fees, including anesthesia, facility fees, pre-surgical appointments, and post-surgical dressings.
Does Insurance Cover Breast Surgery?
Depending on the insurance coverage you have, breast augmentation is usually not covered by insurance, although some insurance companies will cover implants used after mastectomies due to breast cancer. Additionally, some insurance companies will cover breast reduction surgery if the size of the breasts are causing health issues for women.
At Plastic Surgery Specialists of Birmingham, Alabama, we are happy to provide financing options to better help you achieve the body aesthetic that you desire.
How Can I Get a Good Idea of My Breast Surgery Cost?
The most helpful and important thing to do when trying to understand how much your breast surgery will cost is to schedule a consultation at Plastic Surgery Specialists of Birmingham, Alabama.
At your consultation, you will be able to see the general breast augmentation cost, breast lift cost, breast reduction cost, and breast revision cost as well as get a chance to better understand plastic surgery financing.
Interested in Learning More?
If you are interested in finding out more about breast surgery in Birmingham, including the cost as well as the procedures that are offered at Plastic Surgery Specialists of Birmingham, Alabama, or to schedule your consultation, give us at (205) 298-8660 or fill out our online form.