Mastectomy and lumpectomy are both used to treat cancer, although the former is also performed on some women and men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer to prevent rather than to treat it.

In some cases, breast implant surgery is also performed on women who are suffering from abnormalities or trauma-related deformities that occur during breast development.

It is important to distinguish a cosmetic surgery from a reconstructive one in order to make an informed decision.  To help you better understand the difference between these two procedures, prominent Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili has provided some explanation:

• Cosmetic plastic surgery is an elective procedure which can improve one’s appearance.  This should be your personal choice and not as a way to fulfill someone else’s desire or expectation.

• Reconstructive plastic surgery is a procedure which can restore the appearance or function (as close to normal as possible) of the body affected by traumatic injuries, congenital defects, diseases, previous surgeries, and abnormal growth.

Because reconstructive surgery is medically necessary, many insurance companies provide coverage—this is not the case in cosmetic procedure which is elective and is solely performed to enhance your appearance.

If you choose to have a breast implant surgery in order to solely enhance your figure, this is considered as a cosmetic procedure.  Consequently, your insurance provider will not offer any coverage, although you can ask your doctor about other forms of financing.

Nowadays, there are many financing companies which can help you pay the cost of your cosmetic surgery.

Regardless if your breast implant surgery is performed for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons, it is a requirement that you are physically healthy and are not suffering from serious medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, delayed healing, and kidney disorder that may increase your risk of complications.

In addition, you should be emotionally stable so you can easily adapt to the physical changes brought by breast implant surgery, and to understand the certain risks and limitations of this procedure.

Among hotel stays, vacation, car rentals, luggage and free flights, you can now add breast augmentation.

If that doesn’t float your boat, how about a face lift or hair replacement for the follicle-challenged man in your life? Other cosmetic surgery procedures are available, too.

Finnair Oyj, billed as Finland’s largest airline, is offering cosmetic surgery in return for your frequently flyer points.

For instance, wing your way from New York City to Helsinki (and back) only 120 times and the breast augmentation is yours!

In America, a Registered Nurse with some experience can command a five-figure sign-on bonus that can turn a Wall Street tycoon green with envy.

But in Europe, one employer has found the way to attract the crème de la crème of nursing staff: Ask them to work for breast implants!

The  ISCARE LIGHTHOUSE Clinic Centre in Prague, Czech Republic, has – like many health facilities worldwide — suffered from a lack of top tier talent – that is, until they hit on the unusual sign-on bonus.

Not only are free breast implants offered, staff can also choose liposuction or tummy tucks!

After all, much of the stock-in-trade at The Iscare Clinic is plastic surgery procedures.
(View the Czech plastic surgery clinic website.)

For many potential plastic surgery patients in Germany, Great Britain and France, the Czech Republic is attractive because it offers popular rejuvenation surgical procedures at a much lower cost of plastic surgery than typically found in their native lands.

According to RussiaToday.com, the cost of a breast augmentation at the clinic is $3500; the same procedure would cost twice to three times that much in, say, England.

The clinic can charge so little because overall costs in the Czech Republic are much lower.

So the average Czech nurse making a typical salary of $900 a month – about the same as a bus driver there — would be hard-pressed to ever afford breast enlargement.

Said one 31-year-old Czech nurse who signed on for breast enhancement: “I would rather have plastic surgery than a free car. We were always taught that if a nurse is nice, bright, loves her work and looks attractive, patients recover faster.”

Consequently, many trained, credential nurses have left the Czech Republic for Germany, the United Kingdom and other west European countries where wages are higher. Reportedly, the Czech Republic has about a 6,000-nurse shortage.

Nurses, physicians and other staff who sign on for three years can have the no-charge plastic surgery after they have served the three years.

So far, ten of 50 nurses at the clinic have taken the plastic surgery option when renewing their contracts while one male physician is thinking about having liposuction.

But now, people are budgeting hard during the economic downturn and looking for bargains wherever possible. So, if you are willing to haggle a little, you may be able to shave the total cost of a breast enhancement somewhat. Tips include:

1. Have surgery during a slow season

Typically, plastic surgeons who perform procedures on the body are the least busy when school is out. Talk to the practice’s business manager and ask if a discount would be available in return for scheduling surgery when the doctor is not very busy.

2. Sign up for fill-in surgery

Plastic surgeons need to keep their operating rooms full because idle hands must be compensated nonetheless. If you can arrange your schedule so that you can have surgery with only five to ten days notice, you may be able to get yet another discount. Reason? Patients are always cancelling for many good reasons and it’s hard to find fill-in patients on short notice.

3. Pay in cash

If you can pay in cash or by check, you may be able to get a small discount. It’s because credit card companies also charge the surgeon when you pay with plastic.

4. Ask about manufacturer specials

Sometimes, manufacturers have promotions on various types of breast implants.  For instance, the surgeon may get three free sets of implants when buying larger lots of inserts. The doctor can then pass savings onto the patients.

5. Have several cosmetic surgery procedures in one surgical session

If you are having breast enhancement, ask if any discounts are available on a second procedure like upper eyelid lift and a third like liposuction. A five percent discount for the first additional procedure and 10 percent discount for the second is typical.

The professional plastic surgery societies list the average surgeon’s fee for breast enhancements done by their members during a particular year. But real prices vary widely, according to where you live, from the Big Apple to the Inland Empire in California, and how much training the surgeon has. Board certified plastic surgeons tend to charge more.

For instance, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) says the average fee for inserting saline implants into small, symmetrical breasts is $3,583. The fee for placing silicone into similar breasts is $4,005.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the average surgeon fee among their members for breast augmentation is $3,816.

But don’t confuse surgeon fees with total prices.

For instance, there is usually a fee of $500 to $800 for the surgical facility.

The anesthesiologist will charge a fee of $500 to $800.

A separate fee is usually charged for the implants, with silicone being more expensive.

Pre-surgical medical tests, medications and medical tests can run another $100 to $300, depending on your health condition and the tests you need.

Before you leave your initial consultation, ask your surgeon for the total price. He or she may ask for wiggle room of five to 10 percent to allow for unforeseen circumstances during surgery.

According to the website, RealSelf.com, consumers in various cities reported the following total charges for a breast augmentation:

• Rockville, Maryland, silicone: $10,000.
• Jupiter, Florida, silicone: $9,000.
• Dallas, Texas, silicone: $8,500 (“I’m 47 with 20-year-old boobs!”)
• San Francisco, silicone: $8,000.
• Huntington Beach, California, silicone, $7,000.
• Scarsdale, New York, silicone: $6500

Have you ever had a breast augmentation? Was it expensive?