Mini Facelift (Limited Rhytidectomy) Cost in Newcastle NSW
A mini facelift (limited rhytidectomy) is a shorter operation than a full facelift (rhytidectomy), with shorter incisions and less dissection. The technique I use is the MACS lift, which tightens the SMAS (the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the supportive layer beneath the skin) through a short incision in front of the ear. There are two figures on this page: the limited facelift (rhytidectomy) on its own, and the limited facelift (rhytidectomy) with a platysmaplasty (tightening of the platysma muscle in the neck). I only combine the two where both are genuinely indicated, and that is decided at consultation.
Both are cosmetic procedures. There is no Medicare item number and no private health fund contribution, and GST applies to every fee.
My surgical fee for a limited facelift (rhytidectomy) starts at $8,789 including GST for the least complex case. That is my fee only. The anaesthetist and Maitland Private Hospital bill separately and set their own charges. In total, the cost is approximately $18,000 including GST. Where a platysmaplasty is also indicated, the operation takes an extra hour, my fee starts at $12,078 including GST, and the total is approximately $24,500 including GST, because the anaesthetist and theatre charges rise with the operating time. An individual written quote follows consultation. These figures apply to the least complex case: normal BMI, no additional procedure, and a day stay at Maitland Private Hospital.
I am Dr Bernard Beldholm, Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Specialist Surgeon, and I have performed cosmetic surgery of the face and neck for more than 15 years. I operate at Maitland Private Hospital in the Hunter Valley and see patients from Newcastle, the Hunter and regional NSW.
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What my fee includes
My surgical fee covers more than the operation itself. It includes:
Your second consultation at no cost
This is required before surgery and includes review of your pre-operative blood results. It can be done remotely if your first consultation was in person.
All post-operative follow-up
I see you closely in the first 2 weeks, then at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
A face band
Which you wear after surgery to support the face and neck while swelling settles.
LED light therapy
At my rooms during recovery.
There are no additional charges from my rooms for standard follow-up over the first 12 months.
What makes up your total cost
Your total is made up of separate charges:
My surgical fee
Which covers the operation and the inclusions above.
The anaesthetist’s fee
The anaesthetist bills you directly. In most cases your pre-operative anaesthetic consultation is by phone, with the physical examination on the day of surgery.
Maitland Private Hospital’s charges for theatre time and your stay
The operation is done as a day stay. An overnight stay is available if you prefer or if I recommend it, and the hospital charges for that separately.
Disposables and consumables
Used in theatre, charged by the hospital.
Although this is the shorter operation, the total is not proportionally lower. The day stay, the consumables and the anaesthetist’s minimum time are much the same whatever the length of the operation. Only my fee and the theatre and anaesthetist hourly charges come down with a shorter operating time.
Two additions change the quote because they add operating time: a platysmaplasty, shown in the second figure above, and VASER (ultrasound-assisted liposuction) of the neck. I include either only where the assessment supports it, and each appears as its own line in your written quote.
Medicare and health funds
A limited facelift (rhytidectomy), with or without a platysmaplasty, is a cosmetic procedure. No Medicare item number applies and no private health fund contributes, whatever level of hospital cover you hold.
Because no item number applies, 10% GST is charged on my surgical fee, the anaesthetist’s fee and the hospital’s charges. Maitland Private Hospital also charges a higher rate for cosmetic theatre time than it does for procedures with a Medicare item number.
If I recommend revision surgery within the first 12 months, my surgical fee is not charged again. The hospital and anaesthetist charges for a revision are separate and are quoted at the time.
For a fuller explanation of how facial surgery is charged, how the components compare between surgeons, and what to look for in a written quote, see my article on what a facelift (rhytidectomy) quote includes.
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Your next step
You need a GP referral before your first consultation. I consult at Maitland Private Hospital; if you live in regional NSW, the first consultation can be by telehealth. The consultation takes about an hour and includes standardised photography and an assessment of whether a limited facelift (rhytidectomy) suits what is present in your face, or whether a different operation, or no operation, is the better path.
My written quote follows, and my patient coordinator organises the separate anaesthetist and hospital quotes so you have the full figure in front of you. If your first consultation was by telehealth, I examine you in person at the second consultation.