The total cost, including what is not in the quote

This page sits where a patient story used to. We do not publish patient stories - testimonials about regulated health services are prohibited under section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. See patient stories.

Instead, the subject clinics tend to be vaguest about. An advertised "from" price is a starting point, not a cost. Here is how to work out what you would actually pay.

What makes up a surgical bill

• Surgeon's fee - the part usually quoted
• Anaesthetist's fee - billed separately by the anaesthetist, and it varies with how long the operation takes
• Surgical assistant - used for many procedures
• Hospital or day-facility fee - theatre time, nursing, recovery, and the ward bed if you stay overnight
• Implants or devices - breast implants in particular can be a substantial line
• Pathology - anything removed should be sent for testing; that is billed
• Compression garments - often two, so one can be washed
• Dressings and medications
• Pre-operative tests - blood tests, imaging, an anaesthetic review
• Follow-up visits - ask how many are included and what happens beyond that
• GST - cosmetic procedures are generally subject to GST; medically indicated ones may not be

Ask for one written, itemised quote covering all of it. If a fee is billed by someone else, ask for their estimate too.

The costs that never appear on a quote

• Time off work. Usually the largest hidden cost. One to two weeks for desk work; four to six weeks before lifting or manual work. If you are self-employed or casual, that is income you will not earn.
• Help at home. Someone to stay the first night is compulsory. Childcare, cleaning, driving and shopping for a week or more.
• Travel and parking for each appointment - consultations, pre-op, surgery, and four or more reviews.
• Scar care - silicone sheets or gel for twelve months, and sunscreen.
• Replacement clothing if your size changes.
• Revision or touch-up surgery. Ask, in advance and in writing, who pays for what in each scenario.
• Maintenance. Non-surgical results are not permanent. Work out the annual cost, not the per-session price, before you start.
• Longer term - breast implants are not lifetime devices and most people will need further surgery at some stage.

Medicare and health funds

Purely cosmetic procedures attract no Medicare rebate and no health fund benefit. Some procedures have a functional indication and an MBS item number - for example abdominoplasty after significant weight loss (30175, 30177), upper eyelid surgery where the field of vision is obstructed (45618), gynaecomastia correction (31525, 31526), certain rhinoplasty items (45632-45644, 45650), and removal of a skin cancer with flap or graft repair (45060). Eligibility depends on strict criteria and on your clinical findings, not on how you feel about the area.

If an item number applies:

• Ask for the item number in writing and check the rebate with Medicare and your fund yourself
• Hospital cover normally requires a waiting period - commonly twelve months for pre-existing conditions
• There is usually an excess, and a gap between the fund's benefit and the fee
• Ask for informed financial consent - a written statement of the expected out-of-pocket amount

Me Clinic is not a no-gap provider.

Me Clinic indicative prices

As at September 2024, including GST. These are ranges; your quote follows your consultation.

• Consultations: Specialist Plastic Surgeon $350, Cosmetic Doctor $150, vein $230, skin assessment $50, mole removal $150
• Facelift $20,000-$50,000
• Brow lift from $10,000
• Eyelid surgery: upper $8,000-$12,000, lower $9,000-$13,000, both $15,000-$18,000
• Rhinoplasty $15,000-$30,000
• Otoplasty $7,000-$14,000
• Thread lift from $4,600
• Volumising treatments from $590
• Dermal skin treatments from $130

Full list: prices.

Payment plans, and a caution

Finance is available for cosmetic procedures, and it is worth reading carefully. Check the interest rate after any promotional period, establishment and monthly fees, the total repayable amount, what happens if you miss a payment, and whether it is recorded on your credit file. "Interest free" arrangements frequently carry fees that make them not free.

More to the point: if the only way to afford a procedure is credit you would struggle to service, that is a reason to wait. Financial stress during a recovery you cannot rush is a difficult combination.

Price is not the thing to shop on

A quote that is far below others usually reflects a difference in something - who operates, where, with what anaesthetic support, with how much follow-up included. Ask what accounts for the difference, specifically. See questions worth asking and surgery overseas.

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. Individual results may vary. Prices are indicative and subject to change.