How much does breast augmentation cost in Scotland, and what changes the price
Breast augmentation at Waterfront Private Hospital in Edinburgh costs £6,800. That is the full price for the operation: your surgeon, your anaesthetist, the hospital, the implants, and a year of aftercare with me, including the treatment of any complication caused by the surgery.
People usually ask me the price before they ask anything else, and that is the right order. Below is what the £6,800 covers, what it does not, and the few things that change the number.
What is included in the price?
The £6,800 is for a standard breast augmentation using the nanotextured silicone implants I use as standard, from GC Aesthetics (Perle) or Motiva. It includes:
- your pre-operative assessment and basic blood tests
- the operation, your general anaesthetic and your day in the hospital (this is day surgery, so you go home the same day)
- both implants
- medicines to take home and your dressings
- a post-surgical bra, fitted before you leave
- nurse check-ups and wound care
- follow-up with me for 12 months, with a final review at six months once the result has settled
- treatment of any complication caused directly by the surgery during that year
The nurses see you at about a week for a wound check, and in between appointments you can contact the team at any time. You do not need to wait for a booked review if something worries you.
For first-time augmentation I use 3D imaging (Crisalix) at the consultation, so you can see likely sizes on a scan of your own body before you decide. That is part of the consultation, not an extra.
What is not included?
- The first consultation, which is £200. If you want a second consultation before deciding, it is free.
- Special scans such as a mammogram, ultrasound or MRI, if you need one.
- Any additional procedure you choose to have.
- Revision surgery for cosmetic reasons when the result is within the normal range. If you simply want a different size later, that is a new operation.
- Your time off work and travel. Most people with a desk job take one to two weeks off. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting wait until about six weeks.
- Replacing or removing the implants years from now. More on that below.
What changes the price?
Three things move the number.
Whether you need an uplift as well
If the breast has dropped as well as lost volume, implants alone will not fix it. An implant cannot lift a breast. It makes a dropped breast bigger. An uplift with implants is a larger operation and costs £11,800. If you would rather not have implants, an uplift with fat transfer costs £11,200, and an uplift on its own, removing skin only, costs £8,800. I will tell you honestly at the consultation which one you need, and I will not sell you the bigger operation if the smaller one will do.
The implant
The nanotextured implant I use as standard is in the £6,800. Some more specialised implants, such as Motiva Ergonomix, cost more, and we confirm the price at consultation. If I think one would suit you better, I will say so and tell you what it adds before you commit to anything.
Combining operations
Some people have augmentation at the same time as another procedure, such as a tummy tuck. Combining usually costs less than two separate operations, and we give you one written total.
What does not change it
The size you choose, and whether the implant goes over or under the muscle, does not change the price. If your breasts are tuberous or very different in size, the plan may involve more than implants, and the price is quoted on what is needed. I will explain the options and their cost when I have examined you.
Do I need an uplift, or will implants on their own do?
Look at where your nipple sits. If it is at or above the fold underneath the breast, and what bothers you is that the breast is smaller or emptier than you would like, implants on their own will probably do it. If the nipple sits below the fold, the breast has dropped, and you are likely to need an uplift, with or without implants.
This is the single biggest thing that changes your price, which is why I would rather you knew about it before you came in. There is a separate article on how to tell whether you need a lift, implants or both.
How much is the consultation, and what happens at it?
The consultation is £200 and you pay it when you book. You see the consultant who would operate, not a coordinator. We talk about what you want, I examine you, and for first-time augmentation we take a 3D scan so you can see different implant sizes on your own frame. A simulation is a guide to help you decide. It is not a promise of the exact result.
If you want to go away and think, you can come back for a second consultation before deciding, and that one is free. Your written quote is sent by secure email after the consultation and is valid for 90 days.
Can I spread the cost?
Yes. Finance is available through Omni Capital Retail Finance: interest-free plans over 6 or 10 months, with a deposit of 10 to 50 per cent of the treatment cost, subject to status. You can cancel within 14 days of approval, and repay early at no extra cost. The team can explain how it works.
If you pay directly, the balance is due two weeks before surgery. Waterfront is a self-pay hospital and does not accept private medical insurance for cosmetic treatment.
What will implants cost me over the years?
This is the question people forget to ask. Implants are not lifetime devices. Many people have them replaced or removed after about 10 to 15 years, and some need it sooner because of a problem such as hardening of the scar tissue around the implant. Replacement is a new operation with its own price. At today’s prices, implant exchange costs £6,800 and removal costs £5,300.
If you ever want your implants checked, we offer an implant health check with an ultrasound scan in one visit. The price is on the guide prices page. Mammograms are still possible with implants; tell the radiographer, and they will use adjusted views.
I would rather you budgeted for this now than were surprised by it later. The risks themselves, and how often they happen, are set out on our breast augmentation page.
Why do prices for breast augmentation differ so much?
You will see a wide spread of prices for what sounds like the same operation. I cannot speak for anyone else’s price, and I would not try. What I can tell you is what to ask of any quote you are given, including ours:
- Does it include the implants, the anaesthetist and the hospital, or are those added later?
- Who sees you after surgery, and for how long?
- If there is a complication in the first year, who treats it, where, and does it cost more?
- Is the surgeon who sees you at consultation the one who operates?
- Is the surgeon on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery?
If you are thinking of surgery abroad, ask the same questions and add a few more. How often will you fly back for reviews, and who pays? If something goes wrong once you are home, who will see you, and will they have your operation notes and implant details? If you need a revision, where will it happen? If you come to us after surgery elsewhere and are unhappy, I will not assess the result until six to nine months after the operation, because that is how long it takes for swelling to settle and for the real result to show.
Can I get breast augmentation on the NHS in Scotland?
Cosmetic breast enlargement is not available on the NHS in Scotland. Under the Scottish Government’s National Referral Protocol (CMO(2025)17, 30 September 2025), NHS Scotland does not routinely offer breast augmentation, and simple cosmetic augmentation is not available. It can be considered only for a congenital difference of more than one cup size between the breasts, a breast that has not developed, or a congenital condition such as tuberous breasts, with a BMI between 20 and 27. If you think you may have a medical reason for treatment, start with your GP: referral is through your GP, and the decision is made by a vetting panel set up by your NHS board.
Who is this not for?
Price is one part of the decision. Some people should not have breast augmentation yet, whatever it costs:
- You are under 18.
- Your breasts have dropped and you are hoping implants will lift them. They will not, and you will be paying for the wrong operation.
- You are planning another pregnancy soon. Pregnancy and breastfeeding change the breasts again, implants or not.
- Your weight is still changing, including if you are on weight-loss injections and still losing. We wait until it is stable.
- You had breast surgery elsewhere within the last six to nine months.
- You smoke, vape or use nicotine patches or gum, and are not able to stop at least 4 weeks before surgery and while you heal.
Things that do not rule you out: being on HRT, being over fifty, having had children, or having a BMI above 30. Breast surgery is offered at higher BMIs than a tummy tuck, because the risks are different.
If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, the consultation is where we find out. I would rather tell you “not yet” than operate at the wrong time.
Questions patients ask
How much does breast augmentation cost at Waterfront? Breast augmentation costs £6,800. That includes the surgeon, anaesthetist, hospital, both implants, medicines, dressings, a post-surgical bra and 12 months of aftercare, with treatment of any complication caused by the surgery in that year. The consultation is £200 and is paid separately. A second consultation before you decide is free.
Can I pay for breast augmentation in instalments? Finance is available through Omni Capital Retail Finance: interest-free plans over 6 or 10 months, with a deposit of 10 to 50 per cent of the treatment cost, subject to status. You can cancel within 14 days of approval, and repay early at no extra cost. The team can explain how it works. If you pay directly, the balance is due two weeks before your surgery date.
Do Motiva or other specialised implants cost more? The nanotextured implants used as standard, from GC Aesthetics (Perle) or Motiva, are included in the £6,800. More specialised implants, such as Motiva Ergonomix, cost more, and we confirm the price at consultation. Your surgeon will tell you whether a specialised implant would make a difference for you before you commit.
How much does breast augmentation cost with an uplift? If your breasts have dropped as well as lost volume, you may need an uplift with implants, which costs £11,800. An uplift with fat transfer instead of implants costs £11,200, and a skin-only uplift costs £8,800. Your surgeon will examine you and tell you which you need at the consultation.
Is it cheaper to have breast augmentation and a tummy tuck together? Combining usually costs less than two separate operations, and we give you one written total. Whether combining is sensible for you depends on your health and on the operations involved, so your surgeon will discuss it at consultation. A tummy tuck has its own BMI limit of about 30, which breast surgery does not.
Is the consultation included in the price of surgery? No. The first consultation is £200, paid when you book, and you see the consultant who would operate. If you want to come back and talk it through again before deciding, the second consultation is free. Your written quote follows by secure email and is valid for 90 days.
How much time off work should I plan for? Most people with a desk job take one to two weeks off. If your work involves lifting, plan for longer. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting wait until about six weeks. Breast augmentation is day surgery, so you go home the same day. Time off is not covered by the price, so budget for it.
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