Facelift (Rhytidectomy), Neck Lift (Cervicoplasty), Eyelid and Brow Surgery Costs in Newcastle NSW
A facelift (rhytidectomy) with me at Maitland Private Hospital costs approximately $18,000 to $38,000 in total, including GST, depending on the technique. The figure for each technique, and for the neck, eyelid and brow operations I perform, is listed below with a link to its own cost page.
These are cosmetic operations, so GST applies and there is no Medicare rebate or health fund contribution. Two of them can qualify for an item number after assessment, and I note those where they appear in the list and explain the difference further down.
Most face and neck operations are performed as a day procedure. An overnight stay at Maitland Private is available if you would prefer it, and it adds to the hospital component of the quote.
I am Dr Bernard Beldholm, a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and Specialist Surgeon. I have performed face and neck surgery for more than 15 years. I operate at Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Valley and see patients from Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie and across the Hunter region. Consultation and surgery both take place here.
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What each operation costs
Every figure below is a total cost, not my surgical fee. It combines my fee, the anaesthetist’s fee and the Maitland Private Hospital charges, including GST, for the least complex case performed as a day procedure with no additional operation. Each operation has its own cost page with the full breakdown, and the link takes you there.
Facelift (rhytidectomy) techniques
- Mini facelift (limited rhytidectomy): approximately $18,000
- SMAS facelift (rhytidectomy): approximately $29,000
- Deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy): approximately $31,500
- Neck lift (cervicoplasty): approximately $38,000. This is the deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) carried into the neck, which is why it sits in this group. The neck section below explains the distinction.
Neck operations
- Deep neck lift (cervicoplasty): approximately $14,500
- Platysmaplasty: approximately $12,000
- Direct excision of neck skin: approximately $16,000. After significant weight loss, Medicare item 30169 may apply once I have assessed you, and the page explains what that changes.
- VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck: approximately $11,000
Eyelid and brow
- Upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery): approximately $13,500. Medicare item 45617 may apply once I have assessed you, and the page explains what that changes.
- Brow lift (browplasty): approximately $15,000
A written quote follows your consultation and is specific to your operation. It sets out my fee and the total separately. A more complex case, a combined operation or an overnight stay changes the total.
Why the facelift (rhytidectomy) figures differ
The difference between the facelift (rhytidectomy) figures comes down to time in theatre. My fee reflects the extent of the operation, and the anaesthetist and the hospital both charge by the hour, so a longer operation costs more at every level.
- A mini facelift (limited rhytidectomy) takes around 2 hours.
- A SMAS facelift (rhytidectomy) takes around 3.5 hours.
- A deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) takes around 4 hours.
- A neck lift (cervicoplasty) is the deep plane operation continued into the neck, with the incision extended behind the ear, and takes around 5 hours.
Which technique is suited to you depends on what I find at assessment, and I go through that on each procedure page and at consultation. The time each takes is a description of the operation, not a ranking.
Adding a platysmaplasty or VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck to a facelift (rhytidectomy) adds about an hour to the operation and changes the quote. The facelift (rhytidectomy) cost pages give the figure with a platysmaplasty included, since that combination is common where both are indicated. Whether a combined operation is appropriate for you is decided at consultation.
Staying overnight at Maitland Private rather than going home the same day adds a night’s accommodation to the hospital component.
The neck operations, and why they are priced differently
The term neck lift (cervicoplasty) is used for two quite different kinds of surgery, which is where the pricing confuses people. I separate them on this site and in my quotes.
Neck lift (cervicoplasty) as part of a facelift (rhytidectomy)
The first is the neck lift (cervicoplasty) listed with the facelift (rhytidectomy) techniques above. It is the deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) continued down into the neck, with the incision extended behind the ear so the skin and deeper tissue of the neck can be repositioned along with the face. Face and neck are treated in the one operation, so it is the longest procedure on this page and carries the highest figure.
Operations performed directly in the neck
The second group works on the neck itself through a short incision under the chin, without a facelift (rhytidectomy). These are shorter operations with lower totals.
- Platysmaplasty works on the platysma, the thin sheet of muscle in the front of the neck. I bring the two edges together in the midline and release the lower border.
- Deep neck lift (cervicoplasty) goes beneath the platysma to remove fat from under the muscle and to reduce the anterior belly of the digastric muscles where they contribute to fullness under the chin.
- Direct excision of neck skin removes loose skin from the front of the neck through an incision placed directly in the neck. I reserve it for selected patients, usually after significant weight loss, who accept a visible scar on the front of the neck in exchange for removing skin that a facelift (rhytidectomy) cannot reach. Deep neck work can be done through the same incision.
- VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck removes fat from beneath the skin of the neck through small access points.
Some patients need one of these, some need a combination, and some are suited to the neck lift (cervicoplasty) with a facelift (rhytidectomy). I work that out at consultation from what is contributing to the shape of your neck, and each procedure page sets out what that operation does and does not do.
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What my fee includes
My surgical fee is the same across all of the operations on this page in what it covers. It includes:
- A second consultation before surgery at no cost, where I go through your blood results and the plan with you. This can be done remotely if you live some distance from Maitland.
- All post-operative appointments: close review over the first 2 weeks, then at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
- A compression face band for the facelift (rhytidectomy) and neck operations, fitted at the hospital.
- LED light therapy sessions after surgery.
- My surgical fee for a revision where I consider one indicated within 12 months of your operation. Hospital and anaesthetist charges for a revision are quoted separately.
The anaesthetist and Maitland Private Hospital bill separately from me and set their own charges. Their quotes are organised through my patient coordinator so that you have all three figures before you decide.
Medicare and health funds
The operations on this page are cosmetic, and for the least complex case no Medicare item number applies. That has two effects on the total. GST of 10% is charged on my fee, the anaesthetist’s fee and the hospital charges, and Maitland Private applies a higher hourly rate to theatre time for cosmetic surgery. Your health fund does not contribute to a cosmetic operation.
Two operations can qualify for an item number. Upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery) can attract item 45617, and direct excision of neck skin after significant weight loss can attract item 30169. Whether you meet the criteria is something I assess at consultation, not something you can settle in advance. Where an item applies, GST no longer applies to the surgical, anaesthetist or hospital fees, a Medicare rebate applies, and your fund may contribute depending on your level of cover. The pages for those two operations set out both positions.
The detail behind item criteria, health fund tiers and worked examples sits in my face and neck surgery costs article.
Your next step
You need a referral from your GP before I can see you. Consultations are held at my rooms in Maitland. If you are travelling from further afield, the first consultation can be done by telehealth, with an in-person examination before any surgery is booked. After the consultation you receive your written quote, and the second consultation follows at no cost before a date is set.
Related pages
Cost pages for each operation:
- Mini facelift (limited rhytidectomy) cost
- SMAS facelift (rhytidectomy) cost
- Deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) cost
- Neck lift (cervicoplasty) cost
- Deep neck lift (cervicoplasty) cost
- Platysmaplasty cost
- Direct excision of neck skin cost
- VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck cost
- Upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery) cost
- Brow lift (browplasty) cost
Procedure pages:
- About face and neck surgery
- About the facelift (rhytidectomy)
- About the mini facelift (limited rhytidectomy)
- About the SMAS facelift (rhytidectomy)
- About the deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy)
- About the neck lift (cervicoplasty)
- About the deep neck lift (cervicoplasty)
- About platysmaplasty
- About direct excision of neck skin
- About VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck
- About upper blepharoplasty (upper eyelid surgery)
- About the brow lift (browplasty)