Wondering why there is such a difference between clinics for the cost of liposuction? In this article, we help to explain the difference by detailing what contributes to the cost of liposuction as well as what you should be wary of.

The cost of liposuction varies between surgeons depending on their experience, the facilities or hospital, which method of liposuction is used and how many areas are to be treated in one procedure.

Your expectations or requirements from liposuction may be different from someone else's, so the surgeon will want to assess you and give you a quote based on what he or she thinks will give you the best result.

LIPOSUCTION COSTS

Cost is just one factor to consider when choosing a surgeon and you should make sure that you know what the costs include and if there are any additional costs, such as the anaesthetist's fees or hospital stay. Costs associated with the procedure generally include:

• Surgeon’s fee
• Hospital or surgical facility costs
• Anaesthesia fees
• Prescriptions for medication
• Post-surgery compression garments
• Medical tests

As a guide, liposuction in Australia ranges from:

• $3,000 – $5,000 for one area of the body
• $5,000 – $6,500 for two areas
• $6,500 – $8,000 for three areas
• $9,500 to $15,000 for four, five or six areas

Medicare rebates are available for some liposuction procedures, but only apply if the procedure is medically necessary, rather than purely cosmetic. As a general rule, private health insurance does not pay rebates for these procedures, but check with your own insurance provider to make sure.

CHOOSING A SURGEON

Choosing the right Surgeon for your procedure is really important and you should choose a Surgeon with whom you feel comfortable and who has significant experience in performing liposuction. In Australia, any medical doctor can perform cosmetic surgical procedures without specialist training. Plastic and Reconstructive surgery is a recognised specialty and requires several years of specialist training in a dedicated training program after having completed a basic medical degree.

You should look for doctors who are plastic surgical Fellows of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Royal College of Surgeons of England. Such Fellows have completed post graduate training in plastic surgery and work under strict professional and ethical guidelines. However, training in plastic surgery does not necessarily mean training in cosmetic surgery, so always specifically ask your surgeon if they have undertaken dedicated training in cosmetic surgery.

In Australia, the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery is the only College that offers formal training and accreditation in cosmetic medicine and surgery. If the Surgeon you visit doesn’t have their qualifications on display, ask to see them.

Choosing a Surgeon with these professional qualifications makes it more likely that you will get a result you are happy with and will potentially reduce the risk of complications.

Next Step

If you are considering liposuction and have questions you would like to ask, or if you would like to book a confidential consultation with one of our highly qualified, experienced surgeons to see what can be achieved for your individual needs, simply click below or call (03) 9088 5000 for Melbourne or (07) 3180 3400 for Brisbane.