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Before someone gets breast implants in their body, they should be made aware of what can potentially go wrong after, even if the implants are successfully inserted into the body. If a breast implant goes awry, or if you decide you no longer want them, how much would a potential removal procedure cost someone who lacks insurance? Here are the most important things to know about all things breast implant removal!
Breast implant removal usually costs between $2,641 to $5,210 without insurance. However, the cost of a breast implant removal varies depending on where the procedure is done, how complicated the procedure is, and the amount of care necessary before, after, and during the procedure.
Why do some people want to get breast implants in the first place? What else should they know before undertaking an implant surgery to know what can go wrong and the resulting costs of a removal surgery without insurance? Let’s go over in depth what to consider and remember when it comes to breast implant removal!
Reasons Why Someone Would Want a Breast Implant Removal Surgery
Why People Get Breast Implants
Why would someone want artificial breast implants in the first place? Lots of people want implants to raise their self-esteem, enlarge too-small breasts, even out uneven breasts, fill out their chest after significant weight loss, evening out breast sizes after pregnancy, boost their sex life, make their clothes fit better, or to change their appearance out of personal preference. There are as many reasons to get breast implants as there are to potentially get them removed later! It is unfortunate, but breast implants may need to be removed later due to various complications below.
Why People Get Breast Implants Removed
Some things can go wrong during the months and years following a breast implant surgery, which will require the removal of the implants. Sometimes a person’s breast implants will start leaking into the body, develop a buildup of calcium deposits, trigger an autoimmune response in the body, cause tissue to deaden in necrosis, cause pain, or will shift or move around into an unwanted position. Even though breast implants do not expire, they have a limited life span, which means they need to be removed and exchanged roughly every 10 to 15 years. This exchange could be another reason why someone needs their breast implants removed and then replaced with new ones.
In addition to all of these reasons, one of the other most common reasons why people get breast implants removed or replaced is due to scar tissue hardening around the implants, which causes discomfort and pain. The formation of scar tissues can even change the appearance of breast implants. This is called capsular contracture. Different elements of life, like pregnancy, age, and breastfeeding can all play a part in potentially changing the size, shape, and weight of a person’s breasts. Sometimes people simply don’t want the implants anymore and will get a removal done to accomplish their cosmetic goals and change their breast size.
Average Breast Implant Removal Cost
Costs of Breast Implant Removal With Insurance
There are a lot of ways to research how much breast implant removals will cost. The Tenley K Lawton M.D. website projects that a removal procedure costs $2,641 on average. If someone has insurance, a breast implant removal operation will cost around $5,000 to $8,000 depending on the insurance plan and person. Getting a breast implant replacement after removal will usually cost from $2,500 to $3,500.
Some people have been known to pay as much as $14,000 for out-of-pocket expenses with breast implant removals due to cost breakdowns. The pricing of breast implant removal surgery varies based on the surgeon’s credentials and level of expertise, the costs per practice location and procedure, the specific type of explant surgery, and additional procedures performed at the same time may affect costs as well.
Costs of Breast Implant Removal Without Insurance
Unfortunately, insurance providers will usually not cover the cost of breast augmentation since it is often defined as cosmetic surgery. However, insurance companies will often cover costs for reconstructive surgery, which some breast implant surgeries and removals can be defined as if they meet the corresponding requirements. When it comes to breast implants, sometimes they need to be implanted or removed for medical reasons that justify the surgery and can qualify for insurance covering some of the costs. For example, if someone has undergone a double mastectomy due to cancer, they will need breast reconstruction and may need a corresponding removal later due to their state of health. If the medical insurance provides coverage for breast implants, they need to record medical necessity and evidence that the patient has tried alternative procedures before that have not worked.
Overall, the circumstances of the original breast implants and the reason for their removal will determine whether insurance providers like Medicare, Medicaid, or other providers and plans cover the cost. While an insurance company must cover these costs if the patient needs implants due to a mastectomy or if a doctor declares the procedure medically necessary, the insurance company does not have to cover costs if the original reasons for the implants were cosmetic. Make sure to check the insurance company’s rules and guidelines to find out if they will cover the removal of breast implants or not.
Breast implant removals will cost more usually if insurance isn’t helping to cover them, but there are ways to still try to make the procedure more affordable. The MD Save website has researched and found that the estimated national average price of breast implant removals is around $12,578 and the MD Save national average price is $3,928. Patients on a high deductible health plan or those who lack insurance can save a lot of money if they buy their procedure upfront through MD Save.
Breast Implant Removal Steps
Breast implant removal can include a lot of different elements in the process depending on the patient, doctor, and medical facility. Usually, a removal cost will include the costs of a surgeon’s fee, hospital or surgical facility costs, anesthesia fees, medical tests, x-rays, post-surgery garments and dressings, transportation, hotel accommodations, and prescriptions for medication. The most common type of breast implant is made out of saline when the silicone shells are filled with salt water, and there are silicone gel types and gel-filled implants. Each type could be removed in varying ways depending on what works best.
Most breast implant removal procedures can be broken down into a few universal steps that all plastic surgeons and doctors stick to. First, the patient is put under the use of medical anesthesia through intravenous sedation or general anesthesia to enhance their comfort during the procedure. Next, the surgeon will make an incision along the lower inframammary fold of the breast or an incision around or below the areola to remove the implant through. Then the operation will commence, which depends on the surgeon and surgery being executed as the breast capsules and implants are removed using a mixture of medical techniques.
After the operation is accomplished, the surgeon will use skin adhesives, sutures, clips, or tapes to close up the skin incisions. After the breast implant removal is done, the patient’s breast profile will have a different shape that may be droopier or flatter than before the surgery was done. The breast may take on a different shape afterward due to the varying amounts of scarring tissue that was produced around the person’s implants.
Factors that Influence the Cost of Breast Implant Removal
The total cost of breast implants varies depending on the type of breast implant that is used, the geographical location of the patient, the experience and training of the plastic surgeon, anesthesia costs, and recovery fees. Just like implant surgery, breast implant removal can vary cost-wise depending on the above factors too.
Every surgeon sets their fees depending on their expertise, location, and credentials in the medical field. For instance, plastic surgeons who are board-certified and specialize in explant surgery will often charge a higher surgeon’s fee due to their higher level of training and specialized experience. All of these factors can affect and change the cost of breast implant removal procedures. A patient should try to find a plastic surgeon who has done previous work with them or a board-certified surgeon to do their procedure.
The practice location and the place where the procedure itself is performed impact the price of breast implant removal as well! For example, a surgical facility in a big city will often perform more expensive surgeries and procedures since they have a higher overhead cost for their surgeons. Patients who are willing and able to travel may find that it is worth it to meet with a certified plastic surgeon in a cheaper area. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of travel with the surgery, recovery, and accommodation expenses. Where the surgery happens matters too, since some plastic surgeons operate in dedicated surgery centers, which will often have lower facility fees than hospital operating room fees. Remember, it is still imperative to make sure a private facility is accredited and the doctor has hospital admitting privileges nearby in case an emergency arises.
The type of breast implant removal surgery, or explant surgery, that a patient undergoes affects costs too. Every type of surgery carries its nuances, with prices customized to each patient’s specific case. If they have an en bloc capsulectomy done to remove the whole capsule of scar tissue around the implant and the implant itself in a single unit, the surgery will likely be on the expensive side. A capsulectomy is pretty aggressive when compared to simple implant removal. Capsulectomies involve anesthesia, more surgery time, and draining, so it is more expensive compared to simpler procedures. Comparatively, a basic implant removal without capsule removal can often be done right in a surgeon’s office, using only local anesthesia, and can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes!
Finally, another key factor that impacts final surgery costs is whether the patient has additional procedures done at the same time as their breast implant removal. Explant surgeries will naturally leave the breasts less full so patients can end up with excess skin, stretched areola, or asymmetry in some cases. For these reasons, lots of people will decide to combine their removal surgery with a fat transfer breast augmentation or a breast life that may or may not have an areola reduction. The average cost of fat transfer breast augmentations is around $9,325 and a breast lift will usually cost around $8,200. These possible additional costs are important if they are necessary and can quickly increase the medical bill.
Ways to Make Breast Implant Removal Better and More Affordable
There are some ways that a patient can go about decreasing the price of breast implant removal. Occasionally, certain surgeons might offer a uniquely convenient payment plan that lets patients pay over time in chunks instead of all at once in a large sum of money.
It is also advised that a patient try to return to the same plastic surgeon who did their original implant procedure when they are scheduling their removal. This is because that surgeon knows what was done before when the implants were first put in, and what type of implants were put in, and they might remove the implants at a reduced cost as opposed to other surgeons who have never worked with the patient before.
People need to also be wary of surgeons who try to up-charge the breast implant removal procedure. For instance, some surgeons try to advertise themselves as en bloc removal experts just to justify extremely pricey surgical fees. True, surgeons get better at doing the procedure with experience, but most board-certified plastic surgeons already have sufficient skills to remove implants and capsules. Reshaping the breasts after removal can be very tricky for surgeons, so to determine a surgeon’s expertise, make sure to ask to view some before and after pictures of their recent explant patients, both those with and without a breast lift or fat transfer!
Professionals also advise discussing both en bloc capsulectomies and simple implant removal surgeries to weigh the pros and cons. The prices, risks, and benefits should be well-known and considered before a patient decide what is in their budget, what insurance may cover, and what they want to do.
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