How Much Does Breast Augmentation Cost?

How Much Does Breast Augmentation Cost in Chicago? A Complete Pricing Guide

In Chicago, breast augmentation cost in typically costs between $7,995 to $10,995 or more depending on your surgeon’s experience, implant type, the physical location of your surgery, facility fee, anesthesia, and surgeons fee. That range reflects an all-in quote, not just the surgeon’s fee. Understanding exactly what drives each cost helps you compare practices honestly and avoid quotes that are missing key line items.

Why Breast Augmentation Pricing in Chicago Varies So Much

For example, the base cost of a saline implant is generally lower than that of a silicone implant. Silicone implants, however, are designed to feel more like natural breast tissue, which is why they are often preferred by many surgeons today, including our experts at Chicago Breast and Body.

The final cost reflects dozens of decisions, from the operating room your surgeon uses to the specific implant technology you choose. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports national costs starting around $6,000 and climbing to $15,000 or more, and Chicago pricing lands within and above that range depending on the practice.

A quote that seems low is worth looking at more closely. Most board-certified surgeons in the same market with similar experience and results will price within a close range of each other. A significant gap usually means something is excluded from the quote, or the surgeon’s volume in breast surgery may be limited.

If you are still in the early stages of research, our breast augmentation FAQ covers the foundational questions most patients ask before their first consultation.

What Is Actually Included in a Breast Augmentation Quote

Many practices list a base surgeon fee without making clear what that number covers. A complete, honest quote should include every line item below.

Full cost breakdown for breast augmentation in Chicago

• Surgeon’s fee
• Anesthesia fee
• Operating room or surgical facility fee
• Breast implants (manufacturer cost is usually around $1200-$1500)
• Medications, such as Exparel for post-operative pain management
• Pre-operative labs and any other required medical testing
• Post-surgery compression garment
• All post-operative follow-up visits

At Chicago Breast and Body Aesthetics, our quotes cover all of the above. You can review our full plastic surgery pricing page for a broader look at procedure costs across our practice.

The Implant You Choose Affects Both Cost and Outcome

Saline vs. Silicone: What the Price Difference Reflects

Saline implants carry a lower base cost. Silicone implants cost more because the gel filling is more complex to manufacture and is generally considered to feel closer to natural breast tissue. That difference in feel is why most plastic surgeons, including ours, prefer silicone for patients who want a natural result.

Our post on silicone vs. saline implants walks through the decision in more detail if you are still weighing the two.

Silicone is not automatically the right choice for every patient, but for women who want an outcome that looks and moves naturally on their frame, it is usually the more appropriate starting point.

Motiva Implants: A Higher Standard of Silicone Technology

Not all silicone implants are the same. Motiva implants, manufactured by Establishment Labs, represent a meaningful step forward in implant design and safety technology. You can read the full details on our Motiva implants page. Here is what sets them apart from conventional silicone options:

• ProgressiveGel technology. Motiva’s Ergonomix line uses a gel called ProgressiveGel Ultima. When you are lying down, the implant holds a round shape. When you stand, it shifts into a natural teardrop shape. This behavior mimics how natural breast tissue moves, which is something conventional fixed-form implants cannot replicate.
• BluSeal barrier layer. Every Motiva implant includes a lightly tinted blue barrier layer called BluSeal. This layer is designed to reduce silicone gel diffusion and can be visually inspected before surgery to confirm the implant’s integrity. This is a safety feature that standard implants do not include.
• SmoothSilk surface. Motiva’s surface technology is designed to reduce the body’s inflammatory response, limit bacterial adhesion, and lower the risk of complications like capsular contracture. Published research supports this: a six-year prospective study found favorable outcomes with Motiva’s nano-surface implants compared to traditional textured options. (Quirós et al., Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2019)
• RFID identification (Qid). Each Motiva implant contains a passive RFID chip. Your surgeon can use a handheld reader to identify your implant details at any future appointment, even without your implant card. This matters for long-term care and any future procedures.
• Warranty protection. Motiva includes an Always Confident Warranty and a Product Replacement Policy with their implants. Extended warranty options are also available.

For patients who want natural, proportional results rather than a dramatic change, the Ergonomix line in particular is worth discussing during your consultation. The implant behaves the way breast tissue behaves. That is the goal.

Chicago Breast Augmentation Cost Comparison Table

Cost Component	Typical Range
Surgeon’s fee	Varies by experience and volume
Anesthesia	Included in total quote
Surgical facility fee	Included in total quote
Implants (manufacturer cost)	$1,200 to $1,500
Medications (e.g., Exparel)	Included in total quote
Pre-op labs	Included in total quote
Post-op garment	Included in total quote
Follow-up visits	Included in total quote
Total (Chicago average)	$7,995 to $9,995+
ASPS national range	$6,000 to $12,000+

Source: Chicago Breast and Body Aesthetics; American Society of Plastic Surgeons

What Drives the Cost Up (and Why That Is Often Worth It)

Surgeon Experience in Breast Surgery Specifically

This is the factor most patients underestimate. Some surgeons offer breast augmentation but perform it infrequently compared to facial procedures or body contouring. A surgeon who does high volume breast surgery brings pattern recognition to sizing decisions, implant placement, and complication avoidance that a generalist simply does not have.

The way to evaluate this is not by asking how long someone has been in practice. It is by reviewing their before-and-after portfolio specifically for breast cases. Our before and after gallery shows results across body types and implant sizes so you can see what consistency looks like in practice. Patient reviews that mention proportional, natural results are a better signal than generic praise about bedside manner.

Our post on choosing your breast augmentation surgeon covers what questions to ask and what to look for before committing.

Facility Quality

An accredited surgical facility with board-certified anesthesiologists costs more to operate than a non-accredited outpatient setting. That cost passes through to your quote, and it reflects real differences in safety infrastructure, staffing, and sterile technique.

Implant Choice

Choosing a premium implant like Motiva adds to the upfront cost. Whether that is worth it depends on what matters to you. If long-term natural movement, a lower complication profile, and built-in identification technology are priorities, the cost difference is a reasonable investment. If you are choosing primarily on price, a standard silicone implant may still deliver excellent results in the hands of an experienced surgeon.

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A Non-Obvious Point Most Cost Guides Skip

Most breast augmentation pricing articles focus on the initial quote. Few address the actual cost of getting it wrong.

Revision surgery in Chicago typically costs $5,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on what needs to be corrected. Capsular contracture treatment, implant exchange for size or position, and scar revision all carry their own fees, recovery periods, and emotional cost.

Patients who choose the least expensive option and need a revision often spend more in total than they would have with a more experienced surgeon or a better implant at the start. This is not an argument against being cost-conscious. It is an argument for evaluating the full picture: surgeon volume in breast surgery, implant quality, and what the practice’s relationship with you looks like after surgery, not just before it.

Understanding how long breast implants last is also part of the long-term cost picture, and worth reading before you decide on an implant type.

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Sizing, Shape, and How Those Decisions Affect Your Results

Sizing is where a lot of patients feel the most pressure, and where inexperienced surgeons tend to rush. The right implant size is not the one you picked from a photo. It is the one that fits your chest width, skin elasticity, existing breast tissue, and the aesthetic proportions you are working toward.

Our guides on 400cc implants, 375cc implants, and 275cc implants include before and after photos at each volume so you can get a realistic sense of what different sizes look like on different frames, not just the marketed version.

If you are someone who prefers a more subtle result, our post on smaller breast implants addresses that specifically.

For patients who want augmentation alongside a lift, we also offer breast lift with implants as a combined procedure. That combination affects cost, recovery, and outcome in ways worth understanding before your consultation.

Incisions, Scarring, and Recovery: What the Cost Covers

Scarring is one of the top concerns patients bring into consultations. The incision approach your surgeon recommends will depend on your anatomy, implant type, and the placement technique used. Our post on types of breast surgery incisions explains each approach and what kind of scar to expect.

Post-operative care for your incisions is part of the recovery process. Our guide on caring for breast augmentation incisions walks through what the first weeks look like so there are no surprises.

If you want to prepare thoroughly before surgery, our plastic surgery prep checklist is a practical resource we put together specifically for patients who want to feel organized going in.

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Financing Options

Because breast augmentation is an elective procedure, insurance does not cover it. Chicago Breast and Body Aesthetics offers financing options for patients who prefer a deferred payment plan. You can also check our specials and discounts page for any current promotions. Ask about available financing plans during your consultation.

When you are considering a breast augmentation, it’s important to also do your research on your surgeon’s experience with performing breast enhancement surgery.  For instance, some surgeons may offer breast surgery but perform more facial procedures. Additionally, if there is a big difference in breast augmentation cost or it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Most surgeons in the same area will be within a close range of each other if they have the proper training and results. A good way to determine whether your surgeon is experienced in the procedure is to view the surgeon’s portfolio of Before & After photos and past patient reviews.

Bigger Is Not Always More Expensive, and Smaller Is Not Always Safer

A common assumption is that choosing a smaller implant reduces surgical complexity and therefore cost. In practice, sizing decisions do not work that way. A surgeon who specializes in proportional results spends significant consultation time on sizing, uses imaging tools, and applies detailed anatomical measurements to find the implant that fits your frame. That process does not get faster or cheaper because the implant is modest in size.

Similarly, the idea that a more dramatic size increase is inherently riskier than a conservative one is a myth. Risk is more closely tied to implant placement technique, tissue characteristics, and the surgeon’s decision-making than to the size itself. What matters is choosing a volume that works within your anatomy, not choosing the smallest option to feel like you are being cautious.

Our post on breast augmentation factors and decisions goes deeper into how these choices are made during a proper consultation.

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Ready to Start?

The best way to get an accurate, all-in quote is through a consultation where your surgeon can assess your anatomy and walk you through the options that fit your specific goals. You can book a virtual consultation to start the process from home, or review our virtual consultation photo instructions if you want to come prepared with the right images.

Sources

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Breast Augmentation Procedure Statistics and Cost Data. https://www.plasticsurgery.org
• Motiva Implants Overview. Establishment Labs. https://motiva.health/patients-implant-overview/
• Quirós MC, Bolaños MC, Fassero JJ. Six-year prospective outcomes of primary breast augmentation with nano surface implants. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2019;39(5):495-508.
• Doloff JC, Veiseh O, de Mezerville R, et al. The surface topography of silicone breast implants mediates the foreign body response in mice, rabbits and humans. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2021;5(10):1115-1130.
• James GA, et al. Bacterial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation on Textured Breast Implant Shell Materials. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2019;43(2):490-497.

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