Comparing Breast Implant Prices

Find Breast Implants Clinics in London & UK »

The cost of breast implants in the UK may be a barrier for you so you might want to consider have your breast implant surgery abroad. It is certainly true that countries such as Egypt, Belgium or even Argentina offer breast implants at up to half the price of UK clinics, but it is important that you also factor in for the additional costs of having your breast implants abroad. This guide compares breast implant prices in the UK to those of a number of overseas countries that have become popular “breast implant trip” destinations including; Egypt, Belgium, Argentina and India. It includes brief information on the country as well as information about the costs of all aspects of the procedure (including surgical consultations, anaesthesia and compression garments), travel, accommodation and aftercare.

Breast Implants in the UK

In the UK the cost of having breast implants will vary depending on the clinic that you choose but will generally fall within the range of £3500-£5000. Some clinics will quote lower figures than this but they will generally not include consultation costs prior to your surgery or follow up treatment so you should be sure of what the cost includes before putting down a deposit. For example the cost of an individual consultation with a breast implant surgeon will range from £60-£200 so a couple of pre-surgery consultations or the need for after care will soon add to the total cost of your surgery. The cost of aftercare is particularly important because if you are unlucky enough to have complications due to your breast implants then you will have no choice but to undergo aftercare treatments and this additional cost could cause you severe financial implications if it occurs on top of the quoted fee.

According to the British Association of Aesthetic Surgeons (BAAPS), the costs of having breast implants in the UK will generally include your hospital bed fee, the use of all the hospital (and/or clinic) facilities, the operating theatre staff and equipment and the costs of any tests. This is often known as the “package price” or the “clinic fee”. BAAPS surgeons will often have a higher cost as they will generally be better trained and this will be the same for surgeons with other associations (such as with the British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (BAPRAS) or other fellowships.

In addition to the experience of your surgeon, the cost of your breast implants in the UK will be affected by the type of implant that you opt for. The type of implant will vary by manufacturer and will affect the shape and texture of the implant which will ultimately alter the look of your breasts after your breast implant surgery. Some surgeons might have certain implant types that they use (due to having a deal with a particular manufacturer) so you need to make sure that the by focussing on the cost of your breast implant surgery, you do not end up with a different implant type than the one that you wanted.

Payment Plans for your Breast Implant Surgery in the UK

Many UK cosmetic surgeries will advertise ways in which you could pay for your breast implant surgery over a period of time (for example by providing monthly amounts). If you are interested in using this method to pay for your breast implant surgery then it is important that you are very clear on the exact amount that you will be required to pay per month and the interest that will be charged over the period. You will also want to know how many payments you need to make before you can have your breast implant surgery (as this will effectively act as a deposit) and whether your after care will be limited if you choose to pay over a longer period of time. It is also important that you understand the implications to your surgery and/or aftercare if you miss a payment. Some surgeries might charge you a fee and increase your interest whereas others might also remove your entitlement to aftercare or even take you to court. You will also want to find out whether you would be entitled for a refund if you decided not to go ahead with your breast implant surgery after you started to make the payments into the plan. In general, if you chose to back out of surgery at this stage you would certainly be charged a certain amount (which would effectively act as the deposit), but you should be entitled to any excess money that you had paid in over this deposit sum. Make sure that you know the exact sum of this deposit as it may be important for you if you did change your mind after starting the payments.

Before you put down the first deposit on any payment plan, take your time to compare the payment plans offered by different UK clinics as well as discussing the payment plans within your chosen clinic (as they will usually have a number of options). You might want to opt for a flexible plan so that you can pay more off in a month if you find that you have extra money to spend (as this will reduce the amount of interest that you have to pay and/or mean that you can have your surgery completed sooner). However, you might find that the less flexible payment plans that are offered have better interest rates (meaning that the final amount that you have to pay for your breast implant surgery is lower).

Deposits

The deposit that you will need to put down before having your breast implant surgery in the UK will vary between clinics. In general it is important that you understand exactly what is included in the “package price” or the contract that you are agreeing to before you put down a deposit. This is important as you do not want to have any nasty hidden costs further down the line. Be sure to ask whether the deposit is then taken off the total package price or whether it is in addition to the package price.

Some UK clinics will have a standard deposit of a named sum (for example £500) and this will allow you to book your breast implant surgery after you have had your initial consultation with your surgeon and once they have agreed to give you the surgery. However, other clinics might ask for a certain percentage of the surgery cost to be paid before allowing you to book your surgery. This could mean a larger sum. In either case you need to be sure that you are very certain that you are going to go through with your surgery when you give the clinic the deposit, as you will not get this sum back if you back out of your surgery at a later date. However, if your surgeon (for whatever reason) changes their mind about carrying out your breast implant surgery then you should be given your deposit back. The only exception to this is if your surgeon is forced to change their mind because of a piece of information that they should have been informed about earlier about your health. For example if you fail to tell your surgeon about a past or current medical condition in the initial consultation that means that they cannot operate on you. So, it is important to fill in all the paperwork given to you during your initial surgical consultation as accurately and truthfully as possible!

Cost of After Care and Potential Additional Costs in the UK

The costs of aftercare will vary between clinics but will also depend on your body’s natural healing ability and the treatment that you give yourself at home during your recovery period. Most UK clinics offer a fixed period aftercare programme that will either be included in the package price, or will need to be purchased separately. For example, the package cost might include a three year aftercare programme included a certain number of regular check-ups with either your surgeon or a nurse within the clinic. Either way, it is important that you know exactly what is included in the aftercare programme and what would need to be purchased as an extra cost. Typically a certain level of aftercare will always be included in the package cost, but you might be able to pay a bit extra in order to increase the amount of aftercare available to you. You might want to take up this option if you have a history of autoimmune diseases (suggesting that you may have a slightly higher risk of having an immune response to the implant, a condition known as capsular contracture) or if you are worried about some of the potential things that could go wrong and you want to put your mind at rest.

Costs of Emergency After Care

There are a number of potential things that could go wrong after your breast implant surgery and it is important that you know whether the package price of your breast implant surgery includes the cost of treating you if you are unlucky enough to experience one of these problems (such as implant leakage or an immune reaction to the implant). There will certainly be an explanation of your emergency treatment entitlement in the contract that you sign before you put down your deposit for your breast implant surgery. It is really important that you read these and know exactly how much your aftercare cost includes.

Most UK clinics would include emergency procedures in the aftercare cost, but you should be aware that they will have “get out” clauses that might mean that you have to pay for some treatment yourself if they find that you in any way caused your problem. For example, if you were carrying out an activity that they suggested you avoided straight after your surgery, then you should expect to incur the costs of the treatment yourself.

Breast Implant Surgery Abroad

You should certainly spend some time researching the culture and cost of living of your chosen country as this will affect the amount of money that you should expect to spend whilst abroad for your surgery as well as the type of clothing that you will need to pack and wear. You should utilize the official UK foreign and commonwealth office (FCO) website as they provide up-to-date travel advice about different countries and will specify areas where they advise against travelling. You should avoid travelling into areas advised against by the FCO, as your insurance may become invalid or (worst case) you will not be allowed into the country.

Do You Want to Travel Alone or With a Friend or Partner

Depending on how you feel, you may wish to travel with a friend or partner. Whilst this may increase the costs if it means that you have to book two hotel rooms and feed two stomachs, staying with a partner (or close friend) in a double room with self-catering facilities may actually reduce the total cost of your stay. In addition you will be able to use your friend or partner as a “recovery buddy” and ask them to help you with carry out basic tasks (such as carrying your luggage and buying food) whilst you are recovering from your breast implant surgery.

Some countries will have a culture where they do not expect unmarried men and women to share a bed (or even a room) so you should try to respect these cultural norms. In this way it is important to do your research about the country that you wish to have your breast implant surgery in and book your hotel rooms accordingly.

Understand Additional Costs of Having Your Breast Implant Surgery Abroad

Additional costs will include airfare, accommodation, travel insurance and food compared to having your breast surgery in the UK where you will be at home and able to cook for yourself. Obviously these costs will vary widely between countries but they will also vary depending on the standard of living that you wish to have (i.e. the difference between a budget hostel and a 5* hotel and the difference between eating out every night at 5* restaurants and buying food from the supermarket to cook yourself). Whilst the accommodation costs of self-catering is often higher, if you share this cost with a friend or partner (who would also be able to help you during your recovery period) this may end up being a cheaper option.

You need to ensure that the travel insurance that you take out will cover you for your breast implant surgery otherwise you could be left with really large fees. Standard travel insurance will probably not be enough so it is important that you are honest with your insurer and answer questions about current medical conditions truthfully and explain exactly what surgery you are having and where you are having it. Your insurer will probably want to see a written contract between you and your clinic so that they can understand who is covering the cost of any correctional surgery that may need to be carried out in the UK etc.

« Cost of Breast Implants

Breast Implant Surgery in Egypt »