Silicone breast implants typically cost between $5,000 and $10,000 total, with most people paying somewhere in the $6,000 to $8,000 range. That total includes more than just the implants themselves. The surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility costs, and several smaller expenses all add up, and the final number depends heavily on where you live, your surgeon’s experience, and the type of implant you choose.
What’s Included in the Total Cost
The price tag for silicone breast augmentation isn’t a single fee. It’s a bundle of separate charges that come together on your final bill. The surgeon’s fee is the largest piece, but it only accounts for a portion of what you’ll pay. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average surgeon’s fee alone was $3,718 (though this figure has likely risen since). On top of that, you’ll be billed separately for anesthesia, the surgical facility, pre-operative medical tests, post-surgery compression garments, and prescription medications for recovery.
Anesthesia typically runs $800 to $1,500, depending on how long the procedure takes and whether the anesthesiologist charges by the hour or a flat rate. Facility fees for the operating room add another $800 to $2,000, varying based on whether the surgery happens in a hospital, an ambulatory surgery center, or an in-office surgical suite. The implants themselves cost the surgeon roughly $800 to $1,500 per pair at wholesale, and that cost gets passed along to you.
Silicone vs. Saline: The Price Gap
Silicone implants cost around $1,000 more than saline implants. The higher price reflects the manufacturing process: silicone implants come pre-filled with a cohesive gel, while saline implants are inserted empty and filled with sterile saltwater during surgery. Silicone also tends to feel more natural, which drives demand and keeps prices higher.
Beyond the upfront cost, silicone implants carry an ongoing expense that saline does not. The FDA recommends regular imaging, either MRI or ultrasound, to screen for silent ruptures. When a saline implant ruptures, it deflates visibly within hours because your body absorbs the saltwater. A silicone rupture can go undetected for months or years since the gel stays in place. These screening scans may not be covered by insurance, and an MRI can cost several hundred dollars each time.
Gummy Bear Implants Cost More
Within the silicone category, “gummy bear” implants (also called form-stable or highly cohesive implants) sit at the premium end. These use a thicker, firmer gel that holds its shape even if the outer shell breaks. Estimates for gummy bear augmentation range from $6,000 to $12,000, making them significantly more expensive than standard silicone. The higher cost comes from the implant itself, which is more expensive to manufacture, and from the surgical technique, which can be more involved since gummy bear implants are shaped rather than round and require precise placement.
How Location Affects Price
Where you get the surgery matters as much as what type of implant you pick. Breast augmentation in major coastal cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Miami tends to run 20 to 40 percent higher than in smaller metro areas or the Midwest and South. This reflects higher overhead costs for surgeons (rent, staffing, malpractice insurance) and higher demand in areas where cosmetic surgery is more common. A procedure that costs $6,000 in Dallas or Atlanta might run $9,000 or more in Manhattan.
Some people travel specifically to take advantage of lower regional pricing. If you go this route, factor in travel expenses and the reality that follow-up visits will require either return trips or coordination with a local surgeon who wasn’t part of the original procedure.
Insurance Almost Never Covers Augmentation
Cosmetic breast augmentation is an elective procedure, and health insurance does not cover it. You’ll pay the full cost out of pocket. Most plastic surgery practices offer financing plans, often through third-party medical lending companies, that let you spread payments over 12 to 60 months. Interest rates vary widely, so compare terms carefully. Some practices offer promotional zero-interest periods if you pay within a set window.
There are narrow exceptions on the insurance side. If you need implant removal due to documented medical complications, some plans will cover that separate procedure. TRICARE, for example, covers removal of silicone or saline implants when the original implantation was a covered benefit and signs of complications are present and documented. For implants placed cosmetically, removal may only be covered if the complication qualifies as a separate medical condition, and common issues like hardening, leakage, and implant damage often do not meet that threshold.
Long-Term Costs to Plan For
Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Most manufacturers and surgeons estimate that implants last 10 to 20 years before you may need a revision or replacement surgery. That second procedure comes with its own full set of costs: surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility, and new implants. Revision surgery can sometimes cost more than the original augmentation because the surgeon may need to address scar tissue, adjust the implant pocket, or correct asymmetry that developed over time.
The periodic imaging recommended for silicone implants adds up as well. If you get an MRI every few years at $300 to $700 per scan out of pocket, that’s an additional $1,000 to $3,000 or more over the life of your implants. Ultrasound is a less expensive alternative that some providers now use for screening, though availability and cost vary by location. When budgeting for silicone implants, thinking in terms of a 10-to-20-year cycle rather than a one-time expense gives you a more realistic picture of the total investment.