Plastic Surgery Costs

Considering plastic surgery? If so, you may have wondered how much a surgical procedure will cost, and struggled to find any legitimate information online.

The fact is that plastic surgery is highly complex and a wide range of skilled professionals, innovative tools and high quality facilities are essential to achieving optimal results. The exact price of any cosmetic procedure varies from patient to patient, making it tricky for a surgeon to advertise a precise cost.

Plastic surgery is typically perceived as a pricey investment, due to the multi-faced cost structure that is involved. Regardless of which cosmetic procedure you are considering, Dr Norris will endeavour to provide you with an estimate of plastic surgery costs during your initial consultation. This figure will be made up of a number of components, including surgeon’s fees, anaesthetist’s fees, hospital fees and, depending on the procedure, implant costs.

Surgeon’s Fees

Every Australian plastic surgeon will charge a different fee to perform surgery, depending on their professional qualifications, professional recognition, experience, popularity and practice location. These fees are fixed and usually include the cost of the entire surgery, pre-operative care and post-operative care.

During your initial consultation, Dr Norris will provide you with a detailed breakdown of his surgical fees.

Anaesthetists’s Fees

Any plastic surgery procedure with Dr Norris will be performed under either a general or local anaesthetic, depending on the procedure. Like most medical specialists, anaesthetists do not have a standard scale of fees, meaning that your anaesthetist fee will depend on the qualifications of the individual anaesthetist who attends to you. You will be given an estimation of this cost prior to your procedure.

Hospital Fees

Hospital fees differ significantly from facility to facility. Dr Norris performs all major surgical procedures at fully accredited facilities, including Norwest Private Hospital and East Sydney Private Hospital.

However Dr Norris and your anaesthetist are both regarded as “independent contractors” who utilise the space and facilities of a private hospital. As such, Dr Norris is unable to discuss, negotiate or agree on the financial arrangements that the hospital makes with patients relating to fees.

Additionally, most plastic surgery procedures are performed as a day procedure, meaning that your hospital fee will not include an overnight stay, only the time in the operating theatre and recovery time from anaesthesia. If you require an overnight stay, your hospital fees will increase.

Implant Costs

If you are undergoing a breast augmentation mammoplasty with Dr Norris, you will also have to take implant costs into consideration. A wide variety of breast implants are available to choose from, which Dr Norris will discuss with you depending on the result you are wanting to achieve.

Most Australian surgeons recommend silicone breast implants. The price of your implants will be dependent on the brand, texture, size and shape you decide on. Keep in mind that teardrop implants are usually more expensive than round implants and that the larger the implant, the bigger the cost. Rest assured that Dr Norris will help you determine the texture, size and shape that will suit your goals during your first consultation.

Can the cost of plastic surgery be covered by insurance?

Plastic surgery procedures are usually not covered by Medicare, as they are typically considered to be cosmetic only. Despite this, Medicare may cover a portion of the costs in the case that the procedure is medically necessary. This may be the case for a breast reconstruction performed following a mastectomy or an abdominoplasty required after significant weight loss.

Your private insurance fund may also reimburse some of the costs, depending on your individual policy. Anything that is not covered will be an out-of-pocket expense for you. Before booking any plastic surgery procedure, ensure to clarify exactly what is and isn’t covered with your insurance fund.

Dr. Benjamin Norris: The Consultation Process