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Why Do Silicone Breast Implants Cost More Than Saline?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
Question viewed 1,931 times
Tags: saline implants, silicone implant, comparison, costs

Why is it that silicone implants cost more than saline implants?

16 answers to Why Do Silicone Breast Implants Cost More Than Saline?

+2

The high cost of silicone implants is due to manufacturers [With Video]

The price difference is out of our hands. The manufacturers charge us more for the Silicone implants, and unfortunately that cost gets handed down to the patient. The reason for higher prices most likely is due to developmental costs, and previous issues with the FDA. see video
Michael L. Workman, MD

Portland Plastic Surgeon
+2

Costs of silicone implants are the lawyers fault

In order to make FDA approved implants and in order to deal with the massive costs involved in dealing with the frivolous lawsuits, the manufacturers have to have higher prices for the gels.  Thanks the lawyers for this. By the way, Allergans are made in Costa Rica and Mentors are made in Dallas.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silcone Implants are more expensive

The manufacturers charge more for gel implants than saline. We have asked that very question and have been told that the costs related to development and manufacturing are higher.
Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS

West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silicone implants more expensive to manufacture

Silicone implants cost approximately $1,000 more than saline implants. The manufacturer sets the price, we can only guess why they cost more. It is probably because they are more expensive to make and distribute.
David Finkle, MD

Omaha Plastic Surgeon

www.bodybyfinkle.com

+1

HIgh cost of silicone gel implants

A pair of silicone gel implants costs the surgeon APPROXIMATELY $1000 more than a pair of saline implants. These costs are passed on to the patient. The higher cost of silicone gel implants is due to: 1. higher manufacturing costs. 2. greater perceived liability with silicone gel implants 3. higher research and development costs with silicone implants
Laurence Weider, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silicone Breast Implants

The reason that silicone implants cost more than saline implants is that it costs the implant manufacturers more to produce the silicone filled implants than the saline implants which we fill in the operating room.  These prices are set by the manufacturers, not the surgeons.
Jason Brett Lichten, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silicone implants do cost more than saline

Hi there- There are many reasons why silicone implants cost more than saline implants, but the primary reason is that production of medical grade silicone (which is very pure and of course sterile) is expensive. Saline is simply salt water- very cheap.
Armando Soto, MD

Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

+1

Silicone vs saline costs

The reason for the cost difference is primariy the price of FDA regulation and testing (which is not bad), and the extra man power drives the costs up.  Another contributer is all the legal bills that accrewed during the silicone controversy.  So sorry.
Rodger Wade Pielet, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

An empty silicone balloon will cost less than one filled with silicone gel

It's simply because Silicone costs more than salt water. If you have a 300 cc implant made of silicone, you are getting 300 cc of silicone. If you have a 300 cc saline implant, you get the same silicone balloon as you get for silicone, but there is no silicone in them. An empty silicone balloon will cost less than one filled with silicone gel. In addition, Silicone did develop a premium price due to the class action law suits of the 1990s.
Daniel P. Markmann, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

DiscoverTheBeauty.com

+1

Silicone breast implants

Silicone breast implants cost more than saline implants. This is really a question for the implant companies. They set the prices. I suppose it costs more to develop them.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silicone regulation is expensive

Silicone implants obviously have a premium price because of the strict regulations and liability that has been brought on the companies.  The FDA has some strong mandates on the companies to keep producing follow-up studies so they have to to do a lot of research.  Any time the government directs medical care the cost will go up.  Between the government, politicians and lawyers, which are essentially all the same, the cost will go up. Hopefully, if the FDA releases their... more
Marcus L. Peterson, MD

Saint George Plastic Surgeon
+1

Breast implant costs come from manufacturers

Easy answer is because Mentor and Allergan can get away with charging the doctors more than double what a saline pair costs. So we pass on the extra costs to the patient. If the silicones were the same or close to the same price as salines I know most would be using the silicones. From MIAMI Dr. B
Darryl J. Blinski, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Ask the companies that make them

Plastic surgeons make money by putting them in, not by manufacturing the implants. Ask either Allergan or Mentor why they cost so much --- the only thing I can guess is medical liability. If we had liability reform in this country costs would go down.
William B. Rosenblatt, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Silicone implants are a greater value than saline implants

We have found that our patients like their gel implants much more than the saline implants. Perhaps it is greater demand that has driven the cost up besides the manufacturing process and prolonged studies and insurance and trial lawyers? I'm not sure which it is however people seem to like them!
Charles Perry, MD

Sacramento Plastic Surgeon
+1

Why do silicone breast implants cost more than saline

Why do silicone breast implants cost more than saline? For starters, they are harder to produce and use more "materials". But the major reason is that they are much more heavily regulated. (No medical device in Medical History has been more heavily studied, scrutinized and preposterously litigated than breast implants. More funds were spent on studying breast implants than artificial joints, heart valves, pacemakers) than saline filled implants. The remaining 2 companies producing... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

The high cost of silicone implants.

Ask the trial lawyers. Due to all the litigation following the silicone breast implant moratorium in 1991, most of the manufacturers of silicone implants stopped distributing in the United States. The largest manufacturer, Dow-Corning was dissolved in order to contain liability claims by the parent companies Dow and Corning. Over the subsequent 16 years multiple studies, performed at great expense, were requested by the FDA prior to their subsequent acceptance for widespread use in 2007.... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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