Cosmetic Surgery Cost Sydney — Fee Guide

Patients researching cosmetic surgery in Sydney are often frustrated by how hard it is to find clear, honest information about cost. Some clinics advertise "from" prices that don't reflect what most patients pay. Others refuse to discuss fees before booking a consultation. Both approaches make it harder for patients to compare options and plan financially. This page is a plain-English guide to how cosmetic surgery fees are structured in Sydney, what Medicare and private health insurance do and don't cover, and how Dr Konrat's practice handles fee discussion.

How Cosmetic Surgery Fees Are Structured

A cosmetic surgery fee is almost always three separate components, itemised on the written quote:

1. Doctor's fee — the fee charged by the cosmetic doctor performing the procedure. This reflects the procedure's complexity, theatre time, and the doctor's training and experience.
2. Anaesthetist fee — a separate fee charged by the anaesthetist, who is a different medical professional. For longer or more complex procedures requiring general anaesthetic, this fee scales with theatre time.
3. Facility or hospital fee — the fee charged by the accredited day-surgery or hospital where the procedure is performed. Covers theatre use, recovery, nursing staff, consumables, and any overnight stay if required.

Additional items that may appear on a quote depending on the procedure include pre-operative blood tests, compression garments, prescription medications, pathology fees, and routine post-operative review appointments. Patients should always ask for an itemised written quote before committing — a single lump-sum figure makes it impossible to compare clinics fairly.

What Influences the Total Cost

Several factors influence the final cost of a cosmetic procedure:

• Anaesthetic type — local anaesthetic is significantly cheaper than general anaesthetic. Where a procedure can safely be performed under local, the total cost is often half or less.
• Theatre time — longer procedures cost more at every component (doctor fee, anaesthetist fee, facility fee). Combined procedures (for example, breast reduction with liposuction) save total theatre time versus staging them separately.
• Facility choice — day-surgery facilities are usually cheaper than full hospitals. The facility is chosen based on clinical suitability, not cost alone — some procedures require hospital-grade monitoring.
• Implants or devices — breast augmentation implants, surgical mesh, or any device used during surgery adds to the fee. Dr Konrat's practice does not perform breast augmentation with implants, so this component does not apply to her procedures.
• Revision complexity — revision procedures after previous surgery elsewhere require more theatre time and careful planning, so the fee is typically higher than a primary procedure.

Medicare and Private Health Insurance — What Applies

Medicare does not cover cosmetic surgery. This is a long-standing position and applies to every cosmetic doctor, cosmetic surgeon, and plastic surgeon performing procedures that are not classified as medically necessary.

Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item numbers exist for specific reconstructive situations — for example, breast reduction with documented functional impairment, or labiaplasty under MBS items 35533 and 35534 where strict criteria are met. These are narrow exceptions, require detailed clinical documentation, and are decided by Medicare's assessment, not by the doctor. Most patients seeking cosmetic outcomes do not meet the MBS criteria.

Private health insurance follows the same pattern. Where Medicare rebates apply to a reconstructive procedure, some private health policies may contribute toward the facility fee. Where the procedure is cosmetic, private health insurance generally does not contribute. Patients planning to rely on private health should always confirm coverage directly with their insurer in writing before booking — general policy language can be ambiguous and coverage decisions are made on a per-claim basis.

Dr Konrat's practice is cosmetic. Medicare rebates do not apply through her consultations, and private health insurance hospital benefits do not apply. The full quoted fee is the patient's out-of-pocket cost. For more detail on the Medicare framework specifically, see is labiaplasty covered by Medicare in Australia — the framework applies to cosmetic procedures generally, not just labiaplasty.

How Dr Konrat's Practice Discusses Fees

At Dr Konrat's Bondi Junction practice, fees are discussed in a specific sequence that aligns with AHPRA's 2023 rules:

1. First consultation — the procedure is discussed in detail, the patient's medical history is reviewed, and the appropriateness of the procedure is assessed. A general fee range may be discussed at this point, but no written quote is provided yet.
2. Written quote — after the first consultation, an itemised written quote is prepared covering the doctor's fee, anaesthetist fee, and facility fee. This is provided before the second consultation so the patient has time to review it.
3. Second consultation — the written quote is confirmed, the informed-consent discussion is completed, and the deposit terms are agreed. No booking is confirmed at this appointment — the AHPRA-required seven-day cooling-off period begins.
4. Booking confirmation — after the cooling-off period, if the patient wishes to proceed, the booking fee is paid and theatre time is reserved. Full payment is typically due before surgery.

Procedure-Specific Cost Pages

For procedure-specific cost guides, see: Labiaplasty Cost Sydney, Blepharoplasty Cost Sydney, and Otoplasty Cost Sydney. Each covers the typical fee structure for that specific procedure in more detail.

Questions Worth Asking

When you're comparing cosmetic surgery quotes in Sydney, the following questions help separate clinics that are straightforward with pricing from those that are not:

• Can I see an itemised written quote covering the doctor fee, anaesthetist fee, and facility fee separately?
• Is the anaesthetist a specialist anaesthetist, and is their fee included in the quote?
• Which accredited facility will the procedure be performed at?
• What pre-operative tests are included, and what are extra?
• Are routine post-operative review appointments included, or charged separately?
• What is the deposit amount, and what are the cancellation terms?
• If a revision is needed, what is the fee structure and under what circumstances?

These are reasonable questions and a good practice will answer them in writing. A clinic that resists giving clear answers on fees is itself important information.