Is a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) considered cosmetic surgery?
- Medicare removed the eligible item number for Abdominoplasty in 2016 for everyone except massive weight loss clients (some below)
- If you have lost more than 5 BMI units, your surgery is classified “Medical”
- If you do not fit this guideline, your abdominoplasty is classified cosmetic.
What are the costs of a medical abdominoplasty?
- The answer will depend on whether you have private health insurance with hospital cover and your particular contract and fine print.
- You have 3 sets of fees with tummy tuck
– surgeon’s fees
– anaesthetic fees
– hospital fees - With insurance, your hospital should be covered except for any co-payments you have agreed to.
- Check that you have not agreed to a plastic surgery item number exclusion
- Surgeon’s fees and anaesthetic fees will return a small rebate from Medicare and a part payment from your insurer.
- You will still have an out of pocket fee that may be between $2000 – $6000
What are the costs of a cosmetic tummy tuck?
- You will have the fees as above, but will also have GST payable on all fees.
- You will have to pay 100% of your hospital fees with no rebate at all
- You will have a Medicare rebate only on surgeon’s and anaesthetic fees.
Do I need to stay in hospital for a tummy tuck or can it be a day procedure?
- If you are fit and healthy and have a small problem only, you can be admitted as a day procedure only.
- Most women stay one night in hospital
- If you have small children you will definitely want to stay overnight.
- If your surgery is medical and you are insured you may decide to stay 2 nights.
Is Tummy tuck a painful procedure?
- We are dealing with muscle, so there is more pain than other surgery
- Dr McGovern’s anaesthetist places a local anaesthetic in your muscle wall to give you initial pain relief in the first day, allowing you to get up and about more quickly.
- This reduces the pain considerably
- This gets you mobile and home more quickly than without.
- You will be given string pain killers and sleeping tablets aft tummy tuck
When will I see the results of my tummy tuck surgery?
- Immediately!
- Your problem has been removed and you will see parts of yourself you haven’t seen for ages!
- You will have some swelling for the first few weeks to months, but your result will be very evident straight away
Do I need to wait until I have finished having children before having surgery?
- Yes in the case of tummy tuck
- We pull the muscle wall back to it’s pre-children position as part of the surgery
- This is stitched with permanent sutures
- You would not want to go through another pregnancy after a tummy tuck
Can any surgeon perform a tummy tuck?
- Of course, many general surgeons perform tummy tuck. This doesn’t mean they give good results.
- Only a specialist plastic surgeon is trained to remove your problem and have you look as normal as possible as an end results.
- Look at photos of the surgeons work.
- Choose a surgeon with lots of good before and after photos, not just a couple.
Unfortunately since the change in Medicare rulings, abdominoplasty has become too expensive for many women who need the surgery.
Many of us in the medical industry petitioned the government to re-introduce this very necessary surgery for many women as a medical (Medicare eligible) procedure. To date nothing has come of it.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons continues to try to persuade the government to re-introduce this item number.
If you would like more information on abdominoplasty, call us for an appointment on 54792922