How Much Does Breast Implant Removal Cost?

The average cost of breast implant removal is $4,900, according to hundreds of recent reviews on RealSelf. However, some patients have paid as much as $17,000 out of pocket.

Read on to learn which factors affect breast implant removal costs, whether insurance covers explant surgery, and whether real patients think it was worth the money.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Breast Implant Removal

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What’s included in breast explant surgery costs?

During your consultation with a surgeon, they will recommend a customized treatment plan for your breast implant removal surgery. This could involve a capsulectomy (to remove some or all of the scar tissue capsule surrounding the implant), an implant exchange, fat transfer to the breast, and/or a breast lift.

Get a written estimate of all your breast implant removal costs, including:

• the consultation fee (typically applied toward the cost of surgery) 
• the surgeon’s fee (for the implant removal, plus any ancillary procedures)
• facility fees for the outpatient surgery center or operating room 
• anesthesia fees 
• post-op care 
• pain medications
• a support bra or compression garment 
• follow-up visits 

Special circumstances may require you to budget for additional expenses, such as:

• lab work (in cases of BIA-ALCL, a rare type of cancer associated with breast implants)
• oral sedatives (if you’re having your implants removed while awake, under local anesthesia)
• pre-op imaging (to obtain baseline scans before additional breast surgeries, like fat grafting)

Does insurance cover the cost of breast implant removal?

Breast implant removal is considered a cosmetic procedure, so it's not typically covered by health insurance. However, insurance may cover this outpatient surgical procedure if it’s performed to correct capsular contracture. 

“Insurance companies will rarely cover any additional cosmetic procedures, such as a breast lift or replacement of an implant, for cosmetic [versus reconstructive] purposes,” says Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash. She recommends contacting your insurance provider about the details of your policy.

Dr. Cash also notes that all implant manufacturers offer warranties that may offset the cost of a secondary surgery. Your surgeon can help you navigate this process.

If your insurance policy won’t cover your procedure and cost is a concern, ask your surgeon which financing options they accept.

Related: 3 Things That Need to Happen for Insurance to Cover Breast Implant Removal

Is breast implant removal worth the money?

Breast implant removal has a 97% Worth It Rating on RealSelf, so most people who reviewed their procedure thought it was worth the investment, discomfort, and recovery time.

Common reasons that people undergo breast implant removal surgery (also called breast explant surgery) include:

• medical issues or complications, like implant rupture, leakage, or concerns about breast implant illness (BII)
• discomfort, often from capsular contracture (when a hard capsule of scar tissue forms around the implant)
• a desire to go back to their natural breast size

BIA-ALCL, a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with textured implants (both silicone and saline), is a less common reason people undergo breast implant removal. The outpatient procedure is the primary treatment for BIA-ALCL.

Many of those who say their explant procedure was "Worth It" say they feel much more comfortable in their body. Others say they believe explant surgery “saved their life” by offering relief from symptoms. 

The small percentage of people who felt their breast implant removal surgery was "Not Worth It" were largely unhappy with their surgeon's work. Some feel the surgery left them "disfigured" or noted post-surgery complications during their healing process. 

Related: What 7 Women Wish They Knew Before Removing Their Implants

These experiences underscore the importance of working with a surgeon who’s an expert in breast explant or implant revision surgeries.

Why does the cost of breast implant removal vary?

How much your breast implant removal procedure costs will depend on these factors. 

1) Your surgeon's credentials and level of expertise 

Every surgeon sets their own fees based on their expertise, location, and credentials. Board-certified plastic surgeons who specialize in explant surgery will likely charge a higher surgeon's fee because of their advanced training and unique experience. 

If you have a good relationship with the surgeon who did your original implant procedure, it's recommended that you return to them. “They know what was done before, the type of implants, and they may also remove implants at a lower cost than someone who’s never seen the patient,” says Dr. Patricia McGuire, a plastic surgeon in St. Louis who’s on The Aesthetic Society's task force on BII.

If that surgeon isn’t available or refuses to remove your implants, find another experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. “It’s always good to get more than one opinion and go with what seems right to you,” says Dr. McGuire.

There are surgeons who advertise themselves as en bloc removal experts, often to justify extremely high surgical fees. “It’s a procedure that you get better at with experience, but most board-certified plastic surgeons have the skills to remove implants and capsules,” says Dr. McGuire.

What’s trickier than the explant, she says, is reshaping the breasts after removal. “That’s where there can be differences in surgical skill.”

To evaluate a surgeon’s expertise, ask to see before and after photos of their explant patients, both with and without a breast lift or fat transfer.

2) Their practice location and where your procedure is performed. 

Your surgeon's location will also play a part in how much your procedure costs. A surgical facility in a major city will usually be more expensive, due to higher overhead costs for the surgeon.

If you're willing to travel, it may be worth it to consult with a qualified plastic surgeon in a more affordable area. Just be sure to factor in the cost of the travel, including your immediate recovery accommodations.

Another factor is where your surgery takes place. Some surgeons operate in a dedicated surgery center, which usually has a lower facility fee than a hospital's operating room. That said, it’s vital to make sure a private facility is accredited and your doctor has hospital admitting privileges nearby, in case of an emergency.

3) The type of explant surgery you undergo.

Every breast implant removal surgery is different from the next, each with their own nuances. The price you pay will be customized to your specific case. Having an en bloc capsulectomy, which removes the intact "capsule" of scar tissue surrounding the implant along with the implant itself as a single unit, can greatly impact the cost. 

"Simple implant removal and more aggressive capsulectomies with implant removal are two very different procedures," says Dr. Douglas J. Raskin, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Colorado Springs. "The latter requires more surgery time, anesthesia, risks, and drains, and thus would be more expensive.” 

Related: Breast Implant Illness Patients Are Demanding a Say in How Their Implants Are Removed—But Is Their Technique of Choice Too Risky?

Oftentimes, a basic implant removal (without capsule removal) can be done in the surgeon’s office, using only local anesthesia, in under 30 minutes.

Dr. Raskin advises discussing both types of explant procedures with your plastic surgeon, so you have a full understanding of the risks and benefits.

4) Whether you have additional procedures at the same time. 

Explant surgery leaves breasts less full, and patients can end up with excess skin, stretched areola, or asymmetry.

For that reason, many patients choose to combine a removal procedure with fat transfer breast augmentation (average cost: $9,325), while others opt for a breast lift (average cost: $8,200) with or without an areola reduction.

"Typically for a breast implant removal and breast lift, there are different charges, as they are considered separate procedures,” says Dr. Cash. 

Some patients who remove their implants to address complications, like ruptures and capsular contracture, have them replaced with new implants in what’s known as an implant exchange. This is essentially two procedures in one, so an exchange with a fresh set of implants will cost more than a removal alone.

While it inflates your total bill, combining two or more plastic surgeries in one operation is more cost effective than having them done at separate times. You'll save money on surgical facility fees and general anesthesia costs. Your provider may also discount their surgeon's fee for the second procedure.

Breast implant removal costs in U.S. states

Browse average breast implant removal costs in U.S. states, according to recent RealSelf member reviews (as of July 2023). States not currently listed did not have enough data to include.

Breast implant removal costs in major U.S. metros