Pricelist

I’d rather you know this before you book a consultation than find out at the quote: my fees are often double what other surgeons charge for the same operation, and several times more than a cosmetic doctor or an overseas cosmetic clinic will quote for something that sounds similar. That gap is not an accident and you need to know exactly what it buys you.

One or two operations a day.

On the days I operate, I do one operation. Sometimes two. I don’t book a list of five, six or seven cases back to back. Body shaping surgery, breast lift and necklift are often long, technically demanding operations, and the standard of the last hour of surgery should be identical to the first. A packed list doesn’t allow for that. It is important that my focus is on the one operation and not having to be distracted by what is coming up . or being under pressure to finish an operation because three more patients are waiting.

Operating on fewer patients, more carefully means more attention to detail and finessing the results. It costs more. I think it’s the right trade, and it’s one many higher-volume practices simply don’t make.

A surgeon who specialises in three areas, not the full menu

I focus my operating list on body shaping surgery, breast lift and necklift. I don’t take on the entire catalogue of cosmetic procedures. That narrower focus means I perform these operations often enough to keep refining technique on them specifically, rather than being jack of all trades across dozens of procedures.

If you are considering body contouring, a breast lift or a necklift done by someone who operates on that specific procedure regularly,  that specialisation is part of what you’re paying for.

Training that goes beyond the minimum

Every plastic surgeon in Australia has to meet a minimum standard to be registered. A cosmetic doctor doesn’t have to meet that standard at all — cosmetic medicine is not a recognised surgical specialty, and someone practising as a “cosmetic doctor” or in a “cosmetic clinic” may hold no surgical fellowship and no plastic surgery board certification whatsoever. I’ve gone well beyond even the surgical minimum:

• A Master’s degree in surgery, on top of my medical and surgical fellowship training.
• A fellowship completed at Harvard hsopitals, working alongside surgeons operating at the top of the field, on cases more complex than most surgeons will see in general practice.
• Board certification as a specialist plastic surgeon — meaning my qualifications, training and ongoing practice are independently verified, not just self-declared.
• Membership of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), one of the most rigorous aesthetic surgery bodies in the world, requiring ongoing peer review and education to maintain.

None of this guarantees a perfect result: no honest surgeon will tell you that. But it does mean that when something is technically difficult, or doesn’t go quite to plan, you’re dealing with someone who has seen it before and knows what to do about it.

An operation planned around you, not a template

I don’t run a single package and apply it to every patient who walks through the door. Two people asking for the same procedure can need two quite different operations: different incisions, different technique, different goals, depending on their anatomy, their skin, their lifestyle and what they actually want to look like afterwards. That takes more time in consultation, more thought in planning, and more time to execute.

An honest assessment, even when it’s not what you want to hear

I’ll tell you plainly if I don’t think an operation will give you what you’re after, if a smaller procedure will do the job, or if I think you should wait. That’s not always the answer people want in a consultation, but it’s the one I think you’re owed. I’d rather lose a booking than perform an operation I don’t believe is right for you.

Attention to technical detail

The difference between a good result and a very good one is often in the details most patients never think to ask about. The length and placement of an incision, the layer-by-layer closure, the adjustments made while you’re still on the table. This is unglamorous, time-consuming work. Doing one operation a day, on a procedure I perform constantly, is what makes that level of attention possible.

Aftercare that doesn’t stop at 5pm

Surgery doesn’t finish when you leave the recovery room, and issues, if they happen, don’t wait for business hours. Every patient of mine has after-hours access to a patient care coordinator and to me personally — not an answering service, and not a locum who’s never seen your file. If something concerns you at 10pm or on a Sunday, you can reach the person who actually knows you, your operation and your care.

Full service

Your aftercare is personally directed by me.  Whether it is my practice nurse changing your dressings or fitting your surgical garment, I  direct all care.   The cost of these treatments is included in your fee. Scar treatment  and products are also included.

So why is the gap sometimes this large?

A cosmetic doctor or cosmetic clinic is very often not run by a specialist plastic surgeon at all, and the fee reflects a different level of training behind the procedure. Other qualified plastic surgeons may be excellent and simply run a higher-volume model: more cases per day, faster operations, less individual time, no after-hours line to the surgeon himself. Neither approach is automatically wrong. But it is a different service to mine, even when the name of the operation on the quote is the same word.

What this means for you

Cheaper quotes exist, from qualified surgeons, cosmetic clinics or overseas centres. If you’re weighing them up, weigh up what’s actually included: who is operating, how many other patients they’re seeing that day, how tailored the plan is to you, how honestly you’re advised, how much technical attention goes into the operation itself, and what happens if you need help at 9pm on a Sunday. Compare those, not just the number at the bottom of the page.

If you’d like to discuss your own situation, book a consultation and we’ll go through it together.