Breast implant removal typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000 total, though the surgeon’s fee alone averages $3,979 according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That number only covers the surgeon. Once you add anesthesia, the operating facility, prescriptions, imaging, and post-surgery garments, the final bill can be significantly higher. The exact amount depends on the type of removal you need, where you live, and whether insurance covers any portion.
What the Surgeon’s Fee Actually Covers
The $3,979 average from the ASPS reflects only what the surgeon charges. Your total bill will include several additional line items: the anesthesia provider’s fee, the hospital or surgical center’s facility fee, pre-operative imaging like MRI or X-rays, prescription medications for pain and infection prevention, and compression garments you’ll wear during recovery. Each of these adds hundreds to over a thousand dollars on its own.
Facility fees vary widely depending on whether your surgeon operates in a private outpatient center or a hospital-based surgical suite. Hospital settings tend to cost more. Anesthesia is typically billed by the hour, so a longer, more complex procedure raises that cost too. When requesting quotes, ask for an all-inclusive estimate rather than just the surgeon’s fee so you can compare apples to apples.
Simple Removal vs. Capsulectomy
Not all explant surgeries are the same, and the type you need is the single biggest factor in your final price. A simple implant removal is exactly what it sounds like: the surgeon takes out the implant through a small incision, leaving the scar tissue capsule that naturally formed around it. This is the least invasive and least expensive option.
A total capsulectomy removes both the implant and the entire scar tissue capsule surrounding it. This is a more involved dissection that takes longer in the operating room, which increases both the surgeon’s fee and the anesthesia cost. Many surgeons recommend capsulectomy when there’s capsular contracture (the scar tissue has hardened and is causing pain or distortion) or when a silicone implant has ruptured and silicone has leaked into the capsule.
An en bloc capsulectomy is the most complex version. The surgeon removes the implant and its capsule together as a single intact unit, without opening the capsule during surgery. This technique requires more precision and time, and fewer surgeons specialize in it, both of which push the price higher. En bloc procedures can run $7,000 to $12,000 or more for the total cost. Surgeons who are well known for this technique in major metro areas often charge at the top of that range.
Adding a Breast Lift Changes the Price
After implants are removed, especially large ones that have been in place for years, many women find their breast tissue has stretched. Some choose to have a breast lift (mastopexy) performed at the same time as the removal. Combining the two procedures adds the surgeon’s fee for the lift on top of the explant cost, which can bring the total to $10,000 to $15,000 or more. However, combining surgeries means one round of anesthesia and one recovery period instead of two, which can save money compared to staging them separately.
Does Insurance Cover Implant Removal?
Insurance coverage for explant surgery is possible but far from guaranteed, and the rules are strict. The general principle most insurers follow: if the original implant placement would have been a covered procedure (such as reconstruction after a mastectomy), removal of those implants for documented complications is more likely to be covered. Complications that typically qualify include capsular contracture, implant rupture, and infection.
If your implants were placed for purely cosmetic reasons, the path to coverage is narrower. Most insurers will only cover removal if the complication qualifies as a separate medical condition requiring treatment. TRICARE’s policy, which mirrors many private insurers, specifically states that implant damage, hardening, leakage, and autoimmune disorders do not qualify as separate medical conditions when the original surgery was cosmetic. That means even a ruptured cosmetic implant may not be covered depending on your plan.
Breast implant illness, a constellation of symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog that some women attribute to their implants, does not currently have a recognized diagnostic code that reliably triggers insurance approval. Surgeons can document specific complications like capsular contracture using established medical codes, which gives your claim a stronger foundation. But vague documentation of implant-related symptoms often leads to claim denials. If you’re pursuing insurance coverage, work with your surgeon’s billing team to ensure the medical records clearly document a specific, coded complication.
Geographic Differences in Pricing
Where you have the surgery matters. Plastic surgery prices track closely with the local cost of living. Explant surgery in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco will generally cost 20 to 40 percent more than the same procedure in smaller cities in the Midwest or South. Surgeon experience plays a role too. A board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in explant and performs dozens of these procedures a year will typically charge more than a general plastic surgeon for whom explant is a small part of their practice.
Some women travel for their explant surgery to work with a specific surgeon or to take advantage of lower regional pricing. If you go this route, factor in travel, lodging, and the fact that you’ll need to stay in the area for at least a few days after surgery for your initial follow-up appointment.
Recovery Time and Hidden Costs
Recovery from explant surgery typically requires one to two weeks away from work for desk jobs, longer for physically demanding roles. During that window, you’ll need to avoid driving and limit upper body movement. Tenderness and soreness can last up to six weeks, and strenuous activity and heavy lifting are off-limits during that period.
These weeks of limited activity translate into real costs that don’t show up on the surgical bill. Lost wages, childcare help, and the compression bras or surgical garments you’ll need (usually $30 to $80 each, and you’ll want at least two) all add up. If drains are placed during surgery, you may also need supplies for drain care at home. Budget for the full picture, not just the procedure itself.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
The most reliable way to estimate your cost is to schedule consultations with two or three board-certified plastic surgeons. During each consultation, the surgeon will evaluate your implants, recommend a specific type of removal, and provide an itemized quote. Ask each office for the “global fee,” which should include the surgeon, anesthesia, facility, and basic follow-up visits. Compare those global fees rather than just the surgeon’s line item.
Many practices offer financing through medical credit companies that let you spread the cost over 12 to 60 months. Some offer interest-free promotional periods. If you’re paying out of pocket, ask whether the practice offers a discount for paying in full before surgery, as some do reduce the price by 5 to 10 percent.