Mastectomy with Free Nipple-Areola Graft (Gyno Surgery) Cost in Newcastle NSW
Mastectomy with free nipple-areola graft (gyno surgery) in Newcastle NSW and the Hunter Valley starts from $16,000 out of pocket with private health insurance, or from $28,000 without insurance. These are total figures for the least complex cases, covering my surgical fee of $14,990, the anaesthetist, and the hospital. The insured figure moves between $16,000 and $16,500 depending on which Medicare item applies to your operation. You receive an individual written quote after consultation.
I am Dr Bernard Beldholm M.B.B.S B.Sc(Med) FRACS, Specialist Surgeon, operating at Maitland Private Hospital. I have more than 15 years of experience in gynaecomastia and male chest surgery, and it forms a significant part of my practice. Patients come to me from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, the Central Coast and regional NSW.
This page covers the operation for BB grade 5 gynaecomastia, where the nipple sits more than 2 cm below the lower border of pectoralis major or the skin will not tighten on its own. If your chest changes are the result of major weight loss with excess skin extending around the trunk, the male chest surgery after weight loss (torsoplasty) cost page is the page for you.
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What my surgical fee includes
My surgical fee for mastectomy with free nipple-areola graft (gyno surgery) is $14,990. This is the fee for the operation itself. The anaesthetist and Maitland Private Hospital bill separately, and those charges are covered in the next section.
The fee includes:
A second consultation at no cost before surgery
Including review of your blood results. This can be done remotely if you live outside the Hunter Valley.
All follow-up after surgery
2 weeks of close follow-up straight after the operation, including bolster removal at day 10, then reviews at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
Your compression vest
Drain care and removal
Which is based on drain output rather than a fixed day.
Histopathology on the removed breast tissue is billed separately by the pathology provider. A Medicare rebate usually applies to this.
What makes up your total cost
Mastectomy with free nipple-areola graft (gyno surgery) is the longest operation in my gynaecomastia range, and the cost reflects that. The components are:
Surgical fee: $14,990
Fixed for this operation and stated above.
Anaesthetist’s fee
Billed separately. The operation is planned at 4 hours under general anaesthesia, and the anaesthetist bills for the theatre time plus a set-up allowance. Your anaesthetic consultation is by phone in most cases, with examination on the day of surgery.
Hospital and theatre fees at Maitland Private Hospital
Billed separately. These cover 4 hours of theatre time and 1 night on the ward. Nearly every patient stays overnight because both drains and the nipple grafts need checking the next morning before discharge.
Drains
A drain is placed on each side and removed when output falls below 20 mL. Drain care is included in my fee, and the drains themselves are part of the hospital’s theatre consumables.
Nipple graft bolsters
Surgical foam held with staples over each graft, removed at day 10 in my rooms. Included in my fee.
Compression vest
Worn 4 weeks full time, then 2 weeks during the day. Included in my fee.
This operation does not include VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy). Where both sides are BB grade 5, the whole chest is treated by mastectomy, so there is no liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) adjunct to add to the quote.
If you have private hospital cover, your fund usually pays the theatre and ward charges where a Medicare item applies, and you pay your policy excess. Without cover, the hospital charges are yours in full, and theatre consumables are billed on top.
Medicare and health funds
Two Medicare pathways can apply to this operation, and which one fits you is assessed at consultation.
- Gynaecomastia pathway: item 31526 (bilateral mastectomy for gynaecomastia) with item 45545 (nipple-areola reconstruction) for each side.
- Weight loss pathway: item 30169 (removal of redundant non-abdominal skin after significant weight loss) with item 45545 for each side.
Where more than one item is claimed at the same operation, Medicare pays the full schedule fee on the highest item, 50% on the second and 25% on each further item. This is why the insured out of pocket figure differs between the two pathways: about $16,000 under 31526 and about $16,500 under 30169.
Medicare pays 75% of the schedule fee for each item and your health fund pays the remaining 25%, plus any gap cover your policy carries. Your fund’s contribution to hospital and theatre charges depends on your level of cover and your excess. Where no Medicare item applies, there is no Medicare or fund contribution, GST is added to the surgical fee, and the hospital charges its cosmetic rate.
Revision surgery, if ever needed, is charged depending on your insurance position; this is covered in the full cost guide.
For item descriptors, eligibility criteria, fund tiers, worked examples and superannuation access, see the gynaecomastia surgery cost guide.
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Cost of BB grade 5 compared with the other BB grades
Every patient receives a BB grade for each side, and the two sides often differ. Where one side is BB grade 5 and the other is a lower grade, each side is treated according to its own grade and the quote reflects the combination. The figures below are least complex, bilateral, same grade both sides.
| BB grade | Operation | Uninsured from | Insured out of pocket from |
|---|---|---|---|
| BB grade 1 | Gland excision only | $10,500 | $5,500 |
| BB grade 2 | VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) only | $11,500 | Not applicable (cosmetic, no Medicare item) |
| BB grade 3 | VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) with gland excision | $13,500 | $7,500 |
| BB grade 4 | VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) and/or gland excision with crescent lift | $13,500 | $7,500 |
| BB grade 5 | Mastectomy with free nipple-areola graft | $28,000 | $16,000 to $16,500 |
BB grade 5 is the highest fee in the range because it is the longest operation, needs an overnight stay, and involves drains, grafts and bolsters that the lower grades do not.
What changes the price
The published figures are for the least complex cases. Your written quote can differ where:
The two sides are different grades
One side BB grade 5 and the other BB grade 3 or 4 is a shorter operation than bilateral BB grade 5, and the quote reflects that.
VASER liposuction (ultrasound assisted lipectomy) is added
Where fat around the chest edge needs contouring beyond the mastectomy, liposuction (suction assisted lipectomy) adds theatre time.
The Medicare pathway
Items 31526 and 30169 carry different schedule fees, so the insured out of pocket figure differs by about $500 between them.
Your health fund and policy
Excess, hospital cover tier and gap cover all change your share of the hospital and anaesthetist charges.
No Medicare item applies
Where the criteria for 31526 or 30169 are not met, GST is added to the surgical fee and the hospital charges its cosmetic rate.
Theatre time running over the plan
The hospital and anaesthetist bill for the time actually used.
Next step
Cost is confirmed at consultation, after examination and a BB grade for each side. A GP referral is needed to book, and it is required for any Medicare rebate to apply.