Dual Vector Abdominoplasty Cost After Weight Loss in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley
The total cost of a dual vector abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) with me starts from $20,000 out of pocket if you have eligible private hospital cover and meet the Medicare criteria, and from $37,000 if you are uninsured. Both figures cover my surgical fee, the anaesthetist’s fee, hospital and theatre fees at Maitland Private Hospital including 3 nights, your compression garment and all follow-up for 12 months. They are starting figures for the least complex cases. Within that total, my surgical fee starts from $17,500. Your individual quote follows consultation.
Dual vector abdominoplasty is a technique I developed for patients whose loose skin runs in more than one direction. It combines a Fleur de Lis abdominoplasty with an excision of upper abdominal skin. The operation takes around 5 hours in theatre and you stay 3 nights in hospital, which is longer on both counts than an extended abdominoplasty. That extra theatre time, the complexity of the procedure and the closer aftercare it needs are why the quote sits above my other abdominoplasty procedures. Adjuncts such as liposuction, muscle repair or hernia repair, and a higher BMI, move the quote further and are covered below.
I am a FRACS Specialist Surgeon and I operate at Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Valley. My patients come from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, the Central Coast and across regional NSW.
This page covers costs after significant weight loss. If you are considering abdominoplasty after pregnancy, the costs are covered separately in my post pregnancy abdominoplasty cost guide.
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What my surgical fee includes
A second consultation at no charge
This is where I go through your blood results with you and finalise the plan. It can be done remotely if you are travelling from outside the Hunter.
Follow-up for 12 months
I see you closely through the first 2 weeks after surgery, then review you at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. None of these visits carry a separate fee. A dual vector abdominoplasty has 3 incision lines meeting at the midline, so the first 2 weeks involve more wound review than a standard abdominoplasty, and that is built into the fee.
Your compression garment
Fitted before you leave hospital.
What makes up the total
Your quote has 3 parts. The figures below are for the least complex dual vector abdominoplasty and are approximate. Your written quote after consultation itemises each part.
My surgical fee: from $17,500
This covers the operation, the second consultation and 12 months of follow-up.
Anaesthetist’s fee: around $4,000
The anaesthetist bills for the 5 hours in theatre plus the time to put you under and wake you in recovery. The anaesthetist sends you a separate account. If you are insured, Medicare and your fund rebate part of this and you pay the gap.
Hospital fees: around $14,000 to $15,500 if you are uninsured
This is Maitland Private Hospital’s charge for 5 hours of theatre time, 3 nights on the ward and theatre consumables. If you have eligible private hospital cover and meet the Medicare criteria, your fund pays the theatre and ward charges and you pay your policy excess, usually $250 to $750.
That is how the 2 totals in the first paragraph come together: around $37,000 uninsured, and around $20,000 out of pocket with eligible cover once the Medicare and fund rebates on my fee and the anaesthetist’s fee are taken off.
Medicare and private health insurance
A dual vector abdominoplasty after significant weight loss is claimed under Medicare item 30177, the same item as a full, extended or Fleur de Lis abdominoplasty. To qualify you need to have lost at least 5 BMI units, held your weight stable for at least 6 months, and have skin problems such as intertrigo that have not settled with 3 months of treatment, or excess skin that interferes with daily living.
If you meet the criteria and hold eligible private hospital cover, your fund pays the theatre and ward charges and Medicare and the fund each rebate part of my fee and the anaesthetist’s fee.
If you do not meet the criteria, the operation is billed at cosmetic rates. There are no Medicare or fund rebates, the hospital charges more per hour of theatre and per night, and the uninsured total is the figure to plan around.
I go through the item number, the criteria and how to document them with your GP in my full abdominoplasty cost guide.
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What moves your quote above the starting figure
The starting figures assume the least complex dual vector abdominoplasty. Most quotes sit above them, for reasons I can only judge once I have examined you.
- How much upper abdominal skin needs removing. The upper excision is what separates a dual vector from a Fleur de Lis. A wider excision means more dissection and a longer closure, and the time in theatre goes up with it.
- VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) of the flanks or hips performed at the same time.
- Muscle repair. Muscle separation (diastasis recti) is less common after weight loss than after pregnancy, so this is not a default part of the operation. Where it is present, repair adds theatre time.
- Hernia repair, where an umbilical or incisional hernia is found at assessment.
- A higher BMI. Operating time is longer, the anaesthetist’s fee rises with it, and I may plan an extra night.
Each of these is itemised in your written quote, so you can see what drives the figure.
How to get your quote
GP referral
You need a referral before your consultation. It also starts the Medicare paper trail if you are likely to meet the criteria for item 30177.
Consultation with me
Around an hour. I examine the direction and extent of your skin laxity, confirm whether a dual vector abdominoplasty is the right operation, and check for muscle separation (diastasis recti) or a hernia.
Written quote
Within about a week you receive an itemised quote showing my fee, the anaesthetist’s fee, the hospital fees and the Medicare item number. Take it to your fund to confirm what they cover.
Second consultation
Included at no charge. We go through your blood results, finalise the plan and answer any questions about the quote. This can be done remotely.