Skip to Main Content

Cost of bilateral mastectomy near me

The average cash price for bilateral mastectomy care near you is $9,149 at a surgery center versus $9,149 at an outpatient hospital. Read More

Average cash price in U.S.

A common bilateral mastectomy at surgery center facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

General surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $125

Provider fee to remove breast

Partially with additional removal of underarm lymph nodes Standard
2 $2,364

Facility

Surgery center fee to remove breast

Standard Standard
2 $5,484

Imaging

Radiology fee for x-ray of breast or mammogram of both breasts

Standard Standard
1 $206

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
376 $752
Total average cash price   $9,148.50

A common bilateral mastectomy at outpatient hospital facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

General surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $125

Provider fee to remove breast

Partially with additional removal of underarm lymph nodes Standard
2 $2,364

Facility

Surgery center fee to remove breast

Standard Standard
2 $5,484

Imaging

Radiology fee for x-ray of breast or mammogram of both breasts

Standard Standard
1 $206

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
376 $752
Total average cash price   $9,148.50

“Mastectomy” is a medical term that refers to surgical removal of the breast tissue. This specifically refers to the glands that produce milk within the breasts. These glands surround blood vessels that feed the skin which means that portions of the skin of the chest, including the nipples, also often need to be removed. 

A one-sided mastectomy is one of the most common treatments for breast cancer. A bilateral (two-sided) mastectomy is generally done if there is a significant risk of you developing cancer in the other breast, if you desire removal of the other breast for symmetry, or if you have a genetic condition (known as the BRCA gene) that gives you a nearly 60% chance of developing breast cancer at some time in your life. 

Bilateral mastectomies are also used for gender affirming surgery, this is the removal of the breasts to create a chest that has a more masculine appearance.

A bilateral mastectomy is performed by a surgeon while you are under general anesthesia (put to sleep). A surgeon will remove a wedge-shaped section of skin, as much of the milk producing glands as possible, and a section of the fat tissue within the breast. This open area created in the breast will then be stitched closed. 

There are other more advanced mastectomy methods that may be appropriate in special situations. These are still uncommon and are only appropriate for specific patients. Your surgeon will be able to explain these more advanced options and if they are appropriate for you.

A hospital stay for a mastectomy is generally around 3 days. The majority of the first day is focused on pain control and ensuring that no complications develop from the surgery. The days after this are focused on physical therapy, education about wound care, and setting up follow-up appointments. 

You will be discharged from the hospital when your pain is controlled enough to allow you to perform daily tasks and care for your surgical wounds.

Full recovery generally takes several weeks.

  • The first week requires significant limitations in your activity, there will be many exercise and movement restrictions to protect the healing wound. 
  • The second week is focused on follow-up visits and monitoring your recovery. Your surgeon will provide more specific guidelines regarding your recovery at this time. 
  • The weeks after the second week vary greatly based on your age, health, and the amount of breast tissue removed. Generally 3 - 4 weeks after the surgery you can expect to return to most daily activities except intense exercise.

The first few days after the surgery are the most painful. Since a mastectomy generally only affects the skin and fat tissue, the deep cramping pain that comes from surgery on the muscles is limited. The majority of the pain is often described as a dull sensation in the skin and a sensation of fullness in the chest. This is controlled with several days of prescription oral pain medication, wrapping the chest to decrease swelling, and physical therapy to reduce the risk of chronic pain. 

After the first week the pain from the surgery will significantly decrease and can usually be managed with over the counter pain medications alone.

It is nearly impossible to remove 100% of the milk glands within the breast as they are scattered throughout the fat that covers the chest. THis means that there is always a chance of cancer returning. Luckily, this risk is very low. 

Many lumps and bumps will develop over the years following a mastectomy as scar tissue from the surgery builds up in the breast. These changes should always be reported to a doctor as they will want to regularly follow-up to ensure they are not appearing or changing at a rate that would suggest a return of cancer.

About the bilateral mastectomy Average Cash Prices

This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.

Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital, but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support services that a hospital provides.

Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital, but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to the hospital system.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.