I'll answer the second part of your question first. As far as having surgery without having to travel out of town, that will be entirely up to you and the availability of qualified surgeons in your town who you can feel confident about. If you can meet a properly trained and experienced board certified plastic surgeon in your town, and you can develop a rapport with him or her that makes you comfortable, then I would say the answer is yes. On the other hand, if there is no suitable surgeon in your town, then it follows logically that if you wish to have breast augmentation, you'll have to look elsewhere to get it done.With regard to the price, it is impossible to give a specific answer, because there are so many things that influence the pricing of this procedure. I want to answer your question though, not to provide a specific price as an answer, but to take the opportunity to let people know some of the important factors that go into the pricing of surgery. First, it is worth noting that many of these prices will vary depending upon the market or the region of the country, or even state, where you are having surgery. Thus, it is typically more expensive to have the surgery done in a major metropolitan location, like Los Angeles or San Francisco, where the cost of living in general is higher, as opposed to a less populous, perhaps rural or semi-rural location, where the cost of living is not so high. Then, not only does each surgeon set his or her own fees based upon many things such as reputation, training, board certification, experience, level of service provided, cost of their doing business, and so forth, but there are many variables relating to the procedure itself that can affect price. The costs of the surgical facility and the anesthesia service that the surgeon uses and must pay for will factor into the overall cost of the surgery, and this will be influenced by the length of time the surgeon spends doing the procedure, the professional credentials and experience of the anesthesia provider ( MD anesthesiologists for instance will often cost more than nurse practitioners acting as nurse anesthetists), and the cost structure of the OR which can be influenced by things like cost containment measures like ordering of cheaper sutures or other supplies. The cost of the implants will also vary, depending upon the type of implant used and the surgeon's relationship with the implant manufacturer. While you may not be privy to this kind of information, I can tell you that many surgeons receive a price break on implants based upon their volume when they use a large number of one company's implants for their surgery, and they may pass that along to the patients in the way of a lower price for surgery. This may not always be the best way to individualize implant selection for each patient, but if it's cost that is the biggest concern, it's one way to keep costs under control. In addition, certain implants, especially anatomically shaped highly cohesive gel ("gummy bear") implants, typically cost the surgeon more than round implants. In any case, suffice it to say that there is variability in implant pricing across the market, and this will add to price fluctuation from surgeon to surgeon. Lastly, if your surgeon includes any additional specialty items, like Keller funnels, special surgical bras, and the like, these will add some to the costs of doing the surgery too, and this will be reflected in your price.I know that none of us wants to spend any more money on any service or product than we have to, but I would encourage you to consider other factors than just price when selecting a surgeon for this kind of surgery. It is just too important of a decision to make based on just cost. Make sure that you are consulting with board certified plastic surgeons who are experienced in all facets of breast surgery. In addition to being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, your surgeon should also voluntarily participate in the Maintenance of Certification program administered by that board. This is the best way to know that your surgeon not only has the best training and experience for the procedure, but that he or she has maintained currency in the certification requirements as opposed to practicing on a "lifetime" certificate which has only been reviewed once at the beginning of his or her career. For more information on this you can visit ABplsurg.org or ABMS.org. That will be the best way for you to ensure that you are getting the best service available, and then you can look at price. With the things I have mentioned here, I hope this gives you some perspective on the pricing of surgery so that you can make an informed decision about surgery and a surgeon to perform it. Good luck.
