Breast Augmentation in Vietnam: Implants, Risks and Recovery

What is breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation is surgery to make the breasts larger, with implants or with your own fat. Most of the official material used on this page is about implants.

With implants, the surgeon places each implant in a pocket. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) names two places. One is under the chest muscle, called a submuscular placement. The other is behind the breast tissue and over the chest muscle, called a subglandular placement. The NHS says the operation takes between 60 and 90 minutes. It says you may go home the same day, or you may need to stay in hospital overnight.

Fat transfer works another way. ASPS says it uses liposuction to take fat from other parts of your body. That fat is then injected into the breasts. ASPS calls it an option for women who want a relatively small increase in breast size.

Age is part of the US approval. The FDA approved saline implants for breast augmentation in women age 18 or older. It approved silicone gel implants for augmentation in women age 22 or older. Both are approved for breast reconstruction at any age. Those are US approvals for implants sold in the US. We could not confirm a Vietnamese age rule.

Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation procedure; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Fat transfer breast augmentation; FDA, Types of Breast Implants

Saline or silicone implants: what is the difference?

Implants are filled with silicone gel or with saline, which is salt water. The NHS compares the two. It says silicone implants are the most common type used in the UK. They are less likely to wrinkle and feel more natural. But they can spread into the breast and cause lumps. Saline implants are more likely to fold, rupture or go down over time, it says.

The implant surface matters too. Implants can have a smooth or a textured surface. The FDA says the risk of BIA-ALCL, a rare cancer of the immune system, is higher with textured implants than with smooth ones. The risks section below explains it.

Implant silicone is not the same as injected silicone. The FDA says injectable silicone is not FDA approved for breast augmentation, breast reconstruction or body contouring.

Brand names can be checked against official lists. The FDA's breast implant page lists the implants under its sale and distribution limits. They include IDEAL Implant Structured, Mentor MemoryShape, Mentor MemoryGel, Mentor Saline-Filled and Spectrum, Allergan Natrelle Saline Filled and Sientra OPUS implants. That is a US list. We could not confirm which implants, if any, hold a Vietnamese registration.

Official health bodies also record implants that went wrong. The NHS says PIP implants were banned in the UK in 2010. They were found to contain unapproved silicone gel and were more likely to split than other types.

Sources: NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); FDA, Questions and Answers about BIA-ALCL; FDA Consumer Update, What to Know About Breast Implants; FDA, Breast Implants (hub page)

What does Vietnamese law say about breast surgery?

Vietnamese law sets rules for the facility, for the scope of its work and for the implant itself. Three legal texts and two notices from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health cover them. The quotes below are our plain English versions of the Vietnamese text.

The facility

Decree 96/2023, Article 40(12), covers cosmetic services done by invasive methods. It says a facility giving them must be set up as a hospital, a general clinic or a specialty clinic. The services it lists include reshaping parts of the body as a person wishes. The body parts it names include the skin, nose, eyes, lips, face, chest, abdomen and buttocks. So breast augmentation with implants falls inside this rule.

The scope of the licence

The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, 15/2023, lists banned acts in Article 7. Clause 4 bans giving care outside the scope of practice or the scope of operation that the authority allowed. The only exceptions are emergencies and work the authority calls for. A licence on the wall is a start. What it allows is what counts.

The implant

Decree 98/2021 on medical devices sorts devices into four classes, A to D. Article 21(1) says how each class gets its circulation number. Class A and B devices use a declared standard number. Class C and D devices need a registration certificate number. We could not find, in an official legal text, which class Vietnam gives breast implants.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health's hospital quality council went further in April 2024. Its recommendation to hospitals that do plastic and aesthetic surgery says implant materials must be sterile, of clear origin and licensed for circulation in Vietnam. It is a recommendation, not a law.

The Department of Health's advice

In June 2024 the same Department reported action against unlicensed cosmetic premises. It advised people to choose reputable specialty clinics with an operating licence issued by the Department. It said to know the techniques, the doctor and the team before the service. The item points readers to the Department's licence lookup site, thongtin.medinet.org.vn.

Our plastic surgery in Vietnam guide covers these rules for every cosmetic operation. Our dentist in Vietnam guide walks through the official licence lookups step by step.

Sources: Decree 96/2023/ND-CP, Article 40(12); Law 15/2023/QH15, consolidated text 26/VBHN-VPQH (2026); Decree 98/2021/ND-CP, consolidated text 08/VBHN-BYT (2026); HCMC Department of Health, quality council recommendation (2024); HCMC Department of Health, news item of 5 June 2024

What paperwork comes with a breast implant?

In the United States and Australia, the rules require the patient to get written facts about the implant before surgery and a card after it. In the United Kingdom, a GOV.UK page says the patient should have been given an implant card after surgery. None of these rules applies in Vietnam, and we found no Vietnamese rule for an implant card. But they show what regulators elsewhere tell patients to keep.

The FDA requires labeling with three parts. There is a patient decision checklist that sets out key risks. There is a warning printed in a box so it stands out. And there is a patient device card with facts about your own implant, such as the serial or lot number. The FDA says the patient must get the chance to initial and sign the checklist. The surgeon who places the implant must sign it too. The FDA limits sales of breast implants to providers who give patients this checklist.

The FDA also says to ask the surgeon for a copy of the patient labeling for the implant they plan to use. Do that during the consultation, it says. After surgery, it says your doctor should give you a device card with facts on each implant. It adds that it is good to keep a record of the maker and model name.

In Australia, the Medical Board says the patient must get the approved patient information leaflet before surgery. The patient implant card comes after it. In the UK, a GOV.UK page says you should have been given a credit card sized implant card. It shows facts such as the implant type, size and maker. The NHS says the UK set up a breast implant registry in 2016. It records anyone with breast implants so they can be traced if there is a safety concern about one type.

Australia's TGA says to check whether your implant is on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. If it is on the list, it is legal for supply in Australia. The TGA also warns that if you go overseas for implants, the quality of care may be different. Your implant might not have undergone the same regulatory scrutiny, it says.

Sources: FDA Consumer Update, What to Know About Breast Implants; FDA, Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants; FDA, Breast Implant Surgery; FDA, Questions and Answers about BIA-ALCL; Medical Board of Australia, cosmetic surgery guidelines; GOV.UK (MHRA), Information about BIA-ALCL; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); TGA (Australia), Breast implants, things to consider

What to check before you book, and who says so

The table puts the checks from this page in one place. Each row names the body behind it. The first four rows are Vietnamese rules or official Vietnamese advice. The rest come from regulators and surgeon bodies abroad, so read them as questions to ask, not as Vietnamese law.

The FDA lists questions to ask a surgeon about breast implants. Among them:

• What type of implants do you use, saline or silicone? What is your experience with each?
• What is the most common complication you see with breast implant surgery?
• What is your rate of complications in general, such as capsular contracture or infection?
• What is your reoperation rate?

The FDA says you may want to weigh the surgeon's years of experience, board certification and patient follow-up, and your own comfort with them. The NHS adds questions on the implant type and maker and why, the technique and implant placement, the results you can expect, and what follow-up to expect if things go wrong.

Sources: Decree 96/2023/ND-CP, Article 40(12); Law 15/2023/QH15, consolidated text 26/VBHN-VPQH (2026); HCMC Department of Health, news item of 5 June 2024; HCMC Department of Health, quality council recommendation (2024); FDA, Breast Implant Surgery; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); FDA Consumer Update, What to Know About Breast Implants; Medical Board of Australia, cosmetic surgery guidelines; GOV.UK (MHRA), Information about BIA-ALCL; NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad; Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, cosmetic tourism statement (2024)

What are the risks of breast augmentation?

Official bodies name a long list of risks. The ones on the ASPS list include:

• anesthesia risks, bleeding, infection and persistent pain
• fluid build up (seroma) and a collection of blood (hematoma)
• changes in nipple or breast sensation, and poor scarring
• tight scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture)
• implant leakage or rupture, and the chance of revision surgery
• BIA-ALCL, and other very rare cancers in the capsule around the breast, such as BIA-SCC

Capsular contracture

The FDA describes capsular contracture as hardening of the breast around the implant. It can happen around one or both implants. The tissue tightens, which can be painful. Grades III and IV are severe and may need another operation, the FDA says. ISAPS calls it the most frequent complication with implants, usually 8 to 10 percent. It says the causes are unknown.

BIA-ALCL

BIA-ALCL is not breast cancer, the FDA says. It is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. In most cases it is found in the scar tissue and fluid near the implant. In some cases it spreads through the body. The FDA says the main symptoms are lasting swelling, a lump, or pain near the implant. These often come years after the implant was placed.

The FDA's sample boxed warning says this cancer occurs more often with textured implants than smooth ones, though rates are not well defined. It says some patients have died from BIA-ALCL. For confirmed cases, the FDA says the implant and the scar capsule around it should be removed. That is a bigger operation than removing the implant alone. For people with no symptoms, the FDA says it does not recommend removing implants because of this risk. The FDA also says cases of other cancers in the capsule, SCC and lymphomas, may be rare.

Breast implant illness

The FDA says symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, rash, brain fog and joint pain may be linked to breast implants. Some patients call this breast implant illness, or BII. The FDA notes these symptoms may not meet the criteria to be called a disease.

Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation risks; FDA, Risks and Complications of Breast Implants; ISAPS, Breast augmentation patient information; FDA, Questions and Answers about BIA-ALCL; FDA guidance on breast implant labeling (2020), boxed warning example; FDA Consumer Update, What to Know About Breast Implants; FDA, Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants

How long do breast implants last?

None of the official bodies we reviewed gives a set number of years. The FDA says breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer you have them, the more likely they will need to be removed or replaced. It says you should assume you will need more surgeries. The NHS says some women may need further surgery after about 10 years. That can be because of problems with the implants, or because the breasts changed around them.

Removal has its own effects. The FDA says that if implants come out and are not replaced, the natural breasts may change. It lists dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, breast tissue loss and other changes.

Silicone implants can break without signs. The FDA says most silicone ruptures cause no symptoms, so neither you nor your doctor is likely to notice at once. It calls MRI the most effective way to find a silent rupture. It says ultrasound is an acceptable option for screening people with no symptoms.

Two bodies give a screening schedule. ASPS says the FDA recommends screening with MRI or ultrasound five to six years after silicone implants go in, then every two to three years. An ISAPS joint statement says implant integrity should be checked with high resolution ultrasound or MRI five years after placement, then every 2 to 3 years. These schedules come from US and international surgeon bodies, not from Vietnam. Whether they apply to you is for your implant, local guidance and your surgeon to settle. Any such checks would continue wherever you live, long after the trip.

Sources: FDA, Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants; FDA, Risks and Complications of Breast Implants; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation risks; ISAPS joint patient safety statement (2023)

What is the recovery time for breast augmentation?

The NHS says you should be able to return to most of your normal activities after 6 weeks. The table lists each milestone with the body that states it. These are general figures from bodies abroad. Your own surgeon sets your plan.

For a trip to Vietnam, the timeline meets the flight home. The next section sets out what official bodies say about flying.

Sources: NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); ISAPS, Breast augmentation patient information; American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation recovery

When can you fly after breast augmentation?

Two official bodies give two different waits. Neither is written for Vietnam, and this page does not pick one.

The NHS gives its reason plainly. Air travel and major surgery raise your risk of a blood clot, which can be life threatening. The CDC says its longer delay lowers the risks linked to changes in air pressure.

One more NHS line is often misread. The NHS breast enlargement page says flying is fine if you have breast implants. That line sits under what happens after a few months. It is about living with implants, not about flying soon after surgery. The wait for your own case is a question for the surgeon who treats you.

Sources: NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad; CDC Travelers Health, Medical Tourism; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants)

How much does breast augmentation cost in Vietnam?

No official price was found in the sources we could reach. No Vietnamese government body we could reach publishes a price for cosmetic breast surgery. This page prints no clinic or broker price, and no price from another country.

What official sources do give is the costs that sit outside a first quote:

• Later surgery. The FDA says breast implants are not lifetime devices, and you should assume you will need more surgeries.
• Removal or replacement. The FDA says the cost of implant removal or replacement may not be covered by insurance, even if you have complications.
• Screening. The schedules above mean MRI or ultrasound checks for years after silicone implants.
• Care after you get home. The NHS says overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment.

A written quote can answer the questions official bodies raise. Which implant, by maker and model, and why? What technique and placement? What follow-up comes if things go wrong? The NHS lists those questions. The FDA adds the surgeon's reoperation rate. Our health insurance in Vietnam guide covers what cover looks like here.

Sources: FDA, Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants; FDA, Risks and Complications of Breast Implants; American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation risks; ISAPS joint patient safety statement (2023); NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); FDA, Breast Implant Surgery

What happens with follow-up once you are home?

Several official bodies warn that follow-up can be hard to get after surgery abroad. The NHS says overseas clinics may not provide follow-up treatment, or may not provide it to the same standard as in the UK. They may have no health professional in the UK you can go to if you have problems.

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons says follow-up care is essential after complications. It says a patient should have easy access to the surgeon who did the operation and the facility where it was done. It says this is usually impossible once a patient has returned to Australia. Its statement does not name Vietnam.

Paperwork helps the next doctor. The device card and the implant maker and model, from the paperwork section above, tell a surgeon at home what is inside you. Our guide to healthcare in Vietnam for foreigners covers hospitals and emergencies if you need care while still here.

Sources: NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad; Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, cosmetic tourism statement (2024); FDA, Questions and Answers about BIA-ALCL

What we could and could not confirm

This page was built from written records, not from a visit. We could confirm:

• The Vietnamese texts: Decree 96/2023 Article 40(12), Law 15/2023 Article 7(4) and Decree 98/2021 Article 21(1), from official gazette or government files.
• Two Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health documents from 2024: the quality council recommendation and the news item on licensed clinics.
• The FDA, NHS, ASPS, ISAPS, CDC, GOV.UK, Medical Board of Australia and Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons pages listed below. We re-read the two NHS pages live on 14 October 2026, as both are past their own review dates.
• The TGA page, read in a browser because the site blocks scripts.

We could not confirm:

• Any official price for breast augmentation in Vietnam.
• Which device class, C or D, Vietnam gives breast implants, and which implant brands hold a Vietnamese registration. The Ministry of Health device portal did not open for us.
• The text of a Ministry of Health letter from late 2024 on cosmetic surgery facilities. Its page did not load for us.
• Which licence scope or specialty a Vietnamese doctor needs for breast augmentation.
• A Vietnamese patient implant card rule or a national breast implant registry. We found neither.
• A Vietnamese minimum age for implants.

We did not visit a clinic, speak to a surgeon or have treatment for this page.

Breast augmentation in Vietnam questions

Sources: FDA, Things to Consider Before Getting Breast Implants; FDA, Types of Breast Implants; American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast augmentation procedure; American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Fat transfer breast augmentation; NHS, Breast enlargement (implants); NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad; CDC Travelers Health, Medical Tourism; Decree 96/2023/ND-CP, Article 40(12); HCMC Department of Health, news item of 5 June 2024; HCMC Department of Health, quality council recommendation (2024); TGA (Australia), Breast implants, things to consider