Bra Line Lipectomy (Upper Back Lipectomy) Cost in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley
My surgical fee for a bra line lipectomy (upper back lipectomy) after significant weight loss starts at $9,990 for the least complex cases. The anaesthetist and Maitland Private Hospital bill separately, so for a 2 hour operation done as a day stay the total is usually around $17,500 if you are uninsured, or around $11,000 out of pocket if you hold private health cover that includes the procedure and a Medicare item number applies. Your individual quote follows consultation, once I have examined you and know what your operation will involve.
I am a FRACS Specialist Surgeon and I perform this operation at Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Valley. Patients come to me from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, the Central Coast and regional NSW.
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What my fee includes
My surgical fee covers more than the operation itself. It includes:
A second consultation at no cost before surgery
Where I review your blood results and finalise the plan. This can be done remotely if you live outside the Hunter.
All post-operative follow-up
I see you closely for the first 2 weeks, then at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. There is no separate charge for any of these reviews.
Your compression garment
Worn for 4 weeks full-time and then 2 weeks during the day.
What makes up your total cost
For a bra line lipectomy (upper back lipectomy), the total is made up of:
My surgical fee
Rises from the starting figure with the length of the excision and the operating time it needs.
Anaesthetist’s fee
Billed separately. Charged on operating time plus set-up and recovery, so a 2 hour operation is billed as about 3 hours. Your anaesthetic consultation is by phone in most cases.
Hospital and theatre fees at Maitland Private
Theatre time for a 2 hour operation, plus a day stay fee. Most bra line lipectomy patients go home the same day. If I plan an overnight stay for you, a per-night charge replaces the day stay fee and adds about $1,000 to the total.
Drains
Usually not needed for this operation on its own.
Adjuncts that change the quote
VASER liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) to the lateral chest or flank rolls, where planned, adds operating time and therefore adds to the surgical, anaesthetic and theatre fees.
Disposables
Sutures, dressings and theatre consumables, charged by the hospital to uninsured patients only.
Medicare and health funds
After significant weight loss, MBS item number 30169 may apply to a bra line lipectomy (upper back lipectomy). Whether you meet the criteria is assessed at consultation, not from a website. If an item number applies, Medicare pays a rebate on part of my fee and the anaesthetist’s fee, and your health fund may cover the hospital and theatre costs depending on your level of cover and your excess. Without an item number the procedure is treated as cosmetic, no rebate applies, and 10% GST is added.
Revision surgery, if ever needed, is charged depending on your insurance position; this is covered in the full cost guide.
For eligibility criteria, health fund tiers and worked examples for insured and uninsured patients, read my full guide: How Much Do Arm and Upper Body Skin Removal Procedures Cost After Weight Loss?
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Your next step
You need a referral from your GP before I can see you. Bring it to your consultation at my rooms in Maitland, where I examine your back and lateral chest, grade the skin and discuss what the operation would involve for you. If you live in regional NSW, the first consultation can be by telehealth, with examination at a later visit. My patient coordinators then prepare your written quote.