Liposuction (Suction Assisted Lipectomy) of the Back Cost in Newcastle NSW
VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) of the back at Maitland Private Hospital costs around $16,000 in total. That total is made up of three separate fees, each paid to a different provider:
- My surgical fee: $6,600 including GST. This covers the operation itself, your first compression garment and every follow-up appointment through the first twelve months.
- Specialist anaesthetist fee: approximately $2,200 including GST. Billed by the anaesthetist for a two hour general anaesthetic.
- Maitland Private Hospital fee: approximately $7,150 including GST. Billed by the hospital for the theatre, day stay bed and surgical consumables.
These are worked figures for a typical case: the upper back, the rolls below the shoulder blades and the lower back treated in the one operation, with you positioned face down, about two hours of operating time, as a day procedure with no drains. The back is more variable than most areas, because some patients need only the upper back or bra-line treated and others need the lower back as well, so your written quote itemises each fee for the plan we agree at consultation. For what the operation involves and who it suits, read my page on VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) of the back.
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What each fee includes
My surgical fee
Covers your initial consultation of around an hour, a second consultation at no cost to review your blood results and finalise the plan, the operation itself, your first compression garment, and a structured follow-up schedule: intensive reviews through the first two weeks, then appointments at four weeks, three months, six months and twelve months. There is no separate charge for any of these reviews.
The anaesthetist fee
Covers your pre-operative anaesthetic consultation, usually by phone, and the general anaesthetic on the day. Liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) of the back is performed under general anaesthetic at Maitland Private Hospital with you positioned face down, and a specialist anaesthetist is present for the whole operation.
The hospital fee
Covers theatre time, the recovery and day stay bed, surgical consumables including the VASER (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) probes and cannulas, and nursing care until you are discharged home the same day.
What is not included
The figures above cover one operation on the back and the follow-up that goes with it. A few costs sit outside them:
Revision surgery
Where a contour irregularity needs a further procedure and we agree on it at review, the surgical fee for that revision is set by my revision policy, and anaesthetist and hospital fees apply again. I explain how revision is charged in my guide to revision liposuction.
Additional areas
If your plan involves other areas as well, those are quoted as additional operating time and fee, and larger plans are split across sessions rather than treated in one sitting.
Replacement garments
Your first compression garment is included in my surgical fee; any further garment is purchased separately.
What moves the figure
Operating time is the main variable, because the anaesthetist and hospital fees scale with it. Treating the upper back and bra-line only takes less time than the full back and the quote moves down with it, while adding the posterior flanks moves time and fee up together.
The other variables are:
Skin quality
Liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) removes fat; it does not remove loose skin. Where the skin of the upper back has lost its recoil, a bra lipectomy may be the better operation, and where the laxity sits in the lower back, a lower back lipectomy or body lift (belt lipectomy) may be indicated. Each of those is a different operation with its own quote, and I explain the routing at consultation rather than pricing it here.
An overnight stay
The base case is a day procedure. Where an overnight stay is planned, the hospital fee rises accordingly.
Technique
The figures on this page are for VASER (ultrasound assisted lipectomy), which is my preferred technique for the fibrous fat of the back. Standard suction assisted lipectomy is quoted at consultation where it is the better fit for your presentation.
For how these variables work across every area I treat, and how to compare quotes from different practices on a like-for-like basis, read my guide to the cost of liposuction.
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Medicare, private health insurance and GST
Liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) of the back performed for cosmetic reasons has no Medicare item number. That has three consequences: there is no Medicare rebate on any of the three fees, your private health fund does not cover the hospital admission because there is no item number for it to claim against, and GST is payable on the surgical, anaesthetist and hospital fees. All figures on this page include GST.
The excisional operations named above sit under different rules. Where a bra lipectomy, lower back lipectomy or body lift (belt lipectomy) meets the criteria for a Medicare item, a rebate and fund cover may apply to that operation. Whether you meet those criteria is assessed at consultation, and it changes the operation being quoted, not the figures on this page.
How you receive your quote
No figure on this page is your quote. Your written quote is prepared after I have examined your back and we have agreed the plan.
GP referral
A referral is required before a consultation for cosmetic surgery.
Consultation
Around an hour at my Hunter Valley rooms or by telehealth. I examine the upper back, bra-line and lower back, assess skin recoil, and confirm whether liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) of the full back, the upper back only, or an excisional operation suits your presentation.
Written quote
You receive a written quote itemising my surgical fee, the anaesthetist fee and the Maitland Private Hospital fee as three separate lines, with GST shown on each. A second consultation is included at no cost to review your blood results and go through the quote.
Deposit and payment
The quote sets out the deposit, the balance due date and the refund position if you decide not to proceed. Anaesthetist and hospital fees are paid to those providers, not to my rooms.