Breast augmentation is the most searched procedure I perform, and the price is the first thing anyone looks for. Fair enough. I publish mine. Starting at $7,000 for saline, $8,000 for silicone, $8,500 to $9,000 for a gummy bear implant. What I won’t do is pretend that starting number is the only number, because it isn’t, and any surgeon who tells you otherwise before an exam is guessing.
Here’s what I’d want to know if I were the one asking.
What the Starting Price Actually Includes
Our published price is real, and it’s genuinely inclusive. It covers the surgery center, the operating room, anesthesia, and an anesthesiologist. It covers my fee. It covers a pair of implants. It covers the post-surgical bra, scar treatments, moisturizer, and vitamins. It covers your pre-op workup and every post-op visit. The only thing it doesn’t cover is your prescription medications, which you pick up at the pharmacy like anyone else.
That’s a longer list than most patients expect, and it’s exactly why I publish it. Better-educated patients walk into a consultation already knowing what they’re buying instead of getting surprised by it afterward.
Why the Number Moves From One Surgeon to the Next
Location changes the number. Overhead is higher in some markets than others, for the surgeon and for the surgery center both. What the anesthesia team charges changes it. What a surgeon can negotiate on implants, antibiotics, and supplies changes it. Experience changes it too. Surgeons in high demand are usually the ones who deliver consistent results safely, and that reputation carries a cost.
When a price looks too good to be true, it usually is. Somewhere, a corner is getting cut. I use a Keller funnel for a no-touch technique when I insert implants, which drives up cost but lowers infection risk. I use Exparel to create a chest block, injecting long-lasting anesthesia between the ribs, which keeps patients more comfortable after surgery. I schedule enough OR time to work at a paced, careful speed instead of rushing to save on anesthesia minutes. Patients get direct access to our nursing staff twenty-four hours a day. Every case happens in an accredited surgical center built for real emergencies, not just routine ones. None of that is free, and none of it should be.
Saline, Silicone, or Gummy Bear: The Implant Sets the Floor
| Implant type | Where it lands | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Saline | Least expensive | Simplest implant, adjustable fill volume |
| Silicone | Mid-range | More natural feel, higher material cost |
| Gummy bear | Highest of the standard options | Cohesive gel, lowest rupture profile |
| Mentor enhanced oversized (800cc+) | Highest overall | Premium sizing tier, priced accordingly |
I recommend the gummy bear category, and Motiva specifically, more than any other option. Motiva carries the lowest capsular contracture rate and the lowest rupture rate of any implant I place, with one of the strongest warranties in the industry, one that can even cover surgical costs if a complication like contracture or rupture happens down the road, or if a patient simply changes her mind.
What Actually Pushes a Quote Higher
A revision that needs more OR time and a more involved technique costs more than a straightforward first surgery. A donut lift or a full lift added to the augmentation costs more. Mesh support, GalaFLEX or DuraSorb functioning as an internal bra, adds cost. A premium implant, especially the Mentor enhanced oversized line, costs more than a standard Motiva or Mentor silicone implant. A longer anticipated surgery time costs more. A transaxillary approach, through the armpit, takes longer than an inframammary or periareolar incision and prices accordingly.
Past that list, there really isn’t a hidden fee. We offer package discounts when a patient combines procedures, but nothing is required. If a case runs long or hits a complication, the patient still pays what was quoted. That’s the deal.
What I Tell a Patient Who Feels Priced Out
Think long-term. You’re paying for reduced complications, a better result, and a surgeon who’s board-certified specifically in plastic surgery rather than someone practicing outside their training. Cheaper packages skip the parts that actually protect you: the better warranty, the internal mesh bra, Exparel, triple antibiotic irrigation, a no-touch technique. Financing exists for a reason. We work with PatientFi, AlphaEon, Cherry, and CareCredit, plus a direct payment plan through the practice itself, paid at your own pace before surgery.
Eighty percent of our patients travel from other cities to have this done here. Not because it’s cheaper. It usually isn’t. They come for the reviews, the before-and-afters we post almost daily, and the fact that so many of our patients come back for something else once they’ve experienced the practice firsthand.
Consultation, 3D Imaging, and Insurance
There’s a separate consultation fee to see me, in person or virtually, and it’s applied toward your procedure if you move forward. That consultation includes 3D imaging with Crisalix, where you can see different implant sizes and brands on your own body before committing to anything, plus time with real sizers in the room. It also lets us catch volume asymmetry between breasts early, and flag whether a lift should happen at the same time.
I no longer take insurance, since I perform these as cosmetic procedures. Reconstruction after breast cancer or for congenital asymmetry is a different category, and I’ll refer you to a colleague who handles that. Some patients with a medical reason still choose to see me on a cash-pay basis, for the results and the experience, and that’s their call to make.
Why This Sits in a Surgical Practice, Not a Price Chart
I did my plastic surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic and I’m a Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. Castle Connolly has named me a Top Doctor for thirteen straight years. Breast augmentation, including the preservation technique with Motiva Preserve, is one of the procedures I do most. That’s the reason I’d rather explain a real number honestly than quote a flat one I can’t stand behind.
Ready to Talk?
Skip the forum number. Come in, and I’ll tell you what actually goes into your quote, implant by implant.
Call (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or book online at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful.
@RealDrWorldWide on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, @Agullo on X, or @AgulloPlasticSurgery on Facebook.
Cross-links
- Patient-facing version on agulloplasticsurgery.com: “What Breast Augmentation Actually Costs in El Paso (And Why the Number Moves)” (link once live)
- Practice version on swplasticsurgery.com: “What Breast Augmentation Costs at Southwest Plastic Surgery” (link once live)