Deep Plane Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Cost in Newcastle NSW
A deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) lifts the skin and the deeper supportive layer of the face together as one unit. The ligaments that anchor that layer are released so it can be repositioned, rather than pulled on from the surface. It takes longer in theatre than more limited techniques, and theatre time is the main driver of the total.
Two versions are priced on this page. The first is a deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) on its own. The second adds a platysmaplasty, which tightens the platysma muscle in the neck through a small incision under the chin. I add a platysmaplasty only where the assessment shows both are indicated, and that is decided at consultation.
Both are cosmetic procedures. There is no Medicare item number, no health fund contribution, and 10% GST applies to every fee.
My surgical fee for a deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) is $16,489 including GST. That is my fee only. The anaesthetist and Maitland Private Hospital bill separately and set their own charges. With those included, the total comes to approximately $31,500 including GST. This figure applies to a day stay with no other procedure added. Where a platysmaplasty is added, my surgical fee is $19,778 including GST and the total is approximately $38,000 including GST. You receive an individual written quote after your consultation.
I am Dr Bernard Beldholm, a Specialist Surgeon and Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, with more than 15 years of experience in cosmetic face and neck surgery. I perform this operation at Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Valley, and see patients from Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie and across the Hunter.
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What my fee includes
My surgical fee covers more than the time in theatre. It includes:
Your second consultation, at no cost
This is a required step before any cosmetic surgery. It is where I go through your blood results with you and confirm the plan, and it can be done remotely if you live further out.
All follow-up after surgery
I review you closely over the first 2 weeks, then at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. None of these visits carry a fee.
A compression face band
To wear after surgery.
LED light therapy
Sessions during your recovery.
Nothing on this list is billed on top of the figures above.
What makes up your total cost
The total is made up of several separate charges, from three different providers:
My surgical fee
Set for the operation, not the time it takes. It covers the surgery and everything listed above.
The anaesthetist
A deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) is performed under general anaesthesia. The anaesthetist bills separately and charges by the hour, with a consultation before surgery that is done by phone in most cases.
Maitland Private Hospital
The hospital charges for theatre time, also by the hour, plus your stay. The length of the operation drives both this charge and the anaesthetist’s, which is why they make up a larger share of the total here than for a shorter operation. Cosmetic surgery is charged at a higher theatre rate than surgery with a Medicare item number. Most patients go home the same day. An overnight stay is available if you prefer it or if I recommend it, and adds to the hospital charge.
Consumables
Dressings, sutures and single-use theatre items are itemised separately by the hospital.
Two additions change the quote:
- Platysmaplasty, priced in the second figure at the top of this page.
- VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck, where there is fat under the chin that a facelift (rhytidectomy) alone does not treat. This adds theatre time and is quoted individually.
Where the neck skin itself needs to be lifted as well as the face, that is a neck lift (cervicoplasty) rather than a deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) with additions, and it has its own neck lift (cervicoplasty) cost page.
Medicare and health funds
A deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) is a cosmetic procedure. No Medicare item number exists for it, so there is no rebate, and health funds do not contribute to the surgeon, anaesthetist or hospital charges. This does not change with assessment. Because no item number applies, 10% GST is charged on all three.
If revision surgery is needed within 12 months, I do not charge a surgical fee for it. Hospital and anaesthetist charges still apply.
How the cosmetic tier works across the face and neck procedures I offer, including which operations can attract an item number, is covered on my face and neck surgery costs overview page.
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Your next step
You need a GP referral before I can see you. The first consultation takes about an hour and includes standardised clinical photography, an examination of the skin, the deeper layers of the face and the neck, and a discussion of what a deep plane facelift (rhytidectomy) can and cannot do for you. If you live further out, this first consultation can be done by telehealth, with the examination completed in person before any surgery is booked.
After the consultation you receive my written quote. My patient coordinator arranges the separate hospital and anaesthetist quotes so that you have all three figures before you decide.