Skip to content

How to get more breast augmentation patients: a plan for practices

A front desk team member at a plastic surgery practice handles a new patient call

Breast augmentation is a major cash-pay elective surgery, and FDA has specific rules about how patients must be informed before they get implants. This guide is for practice owners, patient coordinators and front desk teams: what those rules mean for your marketing and your consultation process, and how to turn requests into well-informed consultations.

  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Know the FDA requirements that shape the consultation

On October 27, 2021, FDA restricted the sale and distribution of breast implants to providers who give patients risk and benefit information in the form set out in each manufacturer’s approved labeling. FDA also approved new labeling for all legally marketed breast implants, including:

  • a boxed warning;
  • a patient decision checklist, which “must be reviewed with the prospective patient by the health care provider”. The patient must be given the opportunity to initial and sign it, and it must be signed by the physician implanting the device;
  • updated rupture screening recommendations for silicone gel-filled implants;
  • a device description listing specific materials, and a patient device card.

For marketing, this means the path from first request to surgery runs through a real consultation with time to read and discuss the checklist. Do not advertise or sell a way around it, such as booking surgery on the first call.

2. Keep claims in line with FDA’s risk information

FDA’s things to consider before getting breast implants include that “breast implants are not lifetime devices”, that patients should assume they will need additional surgeries, and that the longer someone has implants, the more likely complications become. It also covers the risk of BIA-ALCL, a lymphoma that “is not breast cancer”, and the systemic symptoms some patients report as “breast implant illness”.

  • Avoid: “lifetime results”, “permanent”, “100% safe”, “risk-free”, “no scars” or any claim that downplays FDA’s warnings.
  • Do not promise a cup size or a look. Use “your surgeon will discuss options and realistic results with you”.
  • Link to FDA’s breast implants page from your augmentation page, and be ready to give the manufacturer’s patient labeling, which FDA lists on its labeling page.
  • Only name implant brands you actually use, and do not call any implant “FDA approved for life”.

3. Age and implant type

FDA’s types of breast implants page says saline-filled implants are approved for breast augmentation in women age 18 or older, and silicone gel-filled implants for augmentation in women age 22 or older (both are approved for reconstruction at any age). Ads and forms for augmentation should not target people under 18, and staff should know that silicone augmentation has a higher age threshold. Check the labeling of the implants you use.

4. Answer first-call questions honestly

  • How much does it cost? Give a clear starting price and say what it includes (surgeon, facility, anesthesia, implants, follow-up visits). FDA notes that future removal or replacement, and MRI or ultrasound screening for silicone implants, may not be covered by insurance; say that costs can continue over time.
  • How long do implants last? “Implants are not lifetime devices, and you may need more surgery later. The surgeon will go through this with you.”
  • Is it safe? “All surgery has risks. At your consultation the surgeon will go through FDA’s patient decision checklist with you.”
  • Who is the surgeon? Give the surgeon’s name and real credentials. Let callers check them with the state medical board.

Use the new patient phone script for the rest of the call, and book the consultation, not the surgery, while the caller is on the line.

5. Price, finance and follow up

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more breast augmentation patients?

Answer requests quickly, give clear prices and what they include, introduce the surgeon by real credentials, keep claims in line with FDA’s risk information, and book a consultation where the patient decision checklist can be reviewed properly.

What is the breast implant patient decision checklist?

It is part of the labeling FDA approved for all legally marketed breast implants in October 2021. It must be reviewed with the prospective patient by the health care provider, the patient must be given the opportunity to initial and sign it, and the implanting physician must sign it.

Can we advertise breast implants as lasting a lifetime?

No. FDA says breast implants are not lifetime devices, that patients should assume they will need additional surgeries, and that complications become more likely the longer someone has implants.

What are the age limits for breast augmentation with implants?

FDA says saline-filled implants are approved for augmentation in women 18 or older and silicone gel-filled implants in women 22 or older. Both are approved for reconstruction at any age.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check implant labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your surgeons. Last reviewed October 2026.

More resources

All resources for practices