What’s included in your surgeon’s fee?
You’ve gathered 2 or 3 quotes from the same procedure, and the numbers aren’t close. It’s tempting to assume the lowest one is simply better value. But the quote is only a number until you know what sits behind it.
It has never been easier to compare quotes. AI tools like ChatGPT can pull fees from a dozen websites into a tidy table in seconds. What they can’t capture is the nuance. Who is operating, what support sits around them, and what happens once you leave theatre? The detail rarely makes it into a generic search, and it’s often where the real difference between two quotes lies.
Here’s how to compare them properly.
What does a surgeon’s fee actually cover?
A surgeon’s fee is easy to read as a single line item. In reality, it reflects who is looking after you, and that starts with their credentials. Dr. Matthew Peters is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS), with specialist registration in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The title, ‘Specialist Plastic Surgeon,’ is protected by AHPRA, and earning it requires at least 12 years of accredited medical and surgical training, including at least 5 years of postgraduate specialist surgical training.
Then there’s the team around him, and the VPS nurses in particular. Before surgery, they meet with you to measure you for garments and answer your questions about preparation, packing, and nutrition. Immediately after surgery, they will manage your post-operative care, including dressings, wound care, checkups, check-ins, and any questions or concerns you may have as your recovery unfolds. If something doesn’t feel right, or doesn’t go as expected, they’re the people you’ll speak to.
Alongside them, our administrative team coordinates your appointment, paperwork, guidance on submissions to Medicare and private health and any other questions you may have along the way. It’s a team approach, built around getting you through the process.
In practical terms, the surgeon’s fee covers Dr. Peter’s surgical skill, planning and expertise, a surgical assistant on the day of surgery, and all follow-up that comes with it: routine appointments with both the surgeon and the nursing team, dressings, post-operative packs, and support throughout your recovery. Where clinically needed, the support can continue for months, and sometimes years.
“Surgery is one day. Recovery is the weeks and months after it. I want my patients to know they can pick up the phone or come in whenever something doesn’t feel right, without pondering whether it’s going to cost them.”
— Dr. Matthew Peters, specialist plastic surgeon.
What isn’t included?
This is the part that matters most when you’re comparing quotes. A surgeon’s fee is usually only one part of the total cost of surgery.
Other costs are typically billed separately, including:
- the anaesthetist
- the hospital or day surgery facility
- hospital consumables outside those covered by your insurer
- histopathology testing, if applicable
- physiotherapy and other allied health assistance that is not covered by your insurer.
Our team can’t emphasise enough that every quote from Valley Plastic Surgery is individually prepared, based on each patient’s unique requirements. Surgery should never take a ‘cookie cutter’ approach, and neither should the surgical quotes. Your quote from VPS will clearly detail what is and isn’t included, and our team will walk you through it. If a quote from any practice doesn’t make this clear, ask.
Why can’t I compare quotes by the bottom line alone?
Because the same figure can mean different things. Before comparing, ask each practice:
- Are my follow-up appointments included, and for how long?
- Who will I see if I have a concern after surgery? And how quickly?
- Are dressings and post-operative supplies included?
- What happens if I need further care? Is that included or charged separately?
- What are the anaesthetist and facility costs, and are they in this quote?
- Is a surgical assistant included in the surgeon’s fee or charged separately?
- Is the surgeon who operates the one I’ll see for follow up?
A lower quote isn’t necessarily a worse one. But you can only judge it once you know what it covers.
What about having surgery overseas?
Many patients now weigh up surgery abroad on price alone, and it’s worth understanding why peak bodies urge caution.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons describes cosmetic tourism as a price driven practice, and cautions Australians against it. It notes that surgical qualifications, facility accreditation, and product standards overseas may not consistently match those required in Australia.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has also pointed to the fragmentation of aftercare and follow-up as a risk of medical tourism. And the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons highlights the lack of adequate checkups after returning home.
Some patients tell us that when they’ve explored overseas options, their first conversation was with a representative rather than the surgeon or the nurses who would look after them. If you’re considering Dr. Matthew Peters for your plastic surgery procedure, then that relationship starts with Dr. Peters himself. You’ll consult with him from the outset and meet the nursing team who will care for you, so the people looking after you through surgery and recovery are people you’ve already met.
The practical concern is simple. If a complication arises after you return, the surgeon who operated is far away, and your care may fall to someone who doesn’t have the full picture of what was done. That cost rarely appears on the original quote.
“Every operation carries risk, wherever it’s performed. What matters is who is there to look after you when something doesn’t go to plan.”
— Dr. Matthew Peters.
How do I make a fair comparison?
The aim is to compare apples with apples. Check that the surgeon holds specialist registration on the AHPRA public register, and make sure you feel comfortable with both the surgeon and their team. They will be with you throughout your surgery and recovery, so ask yourself: have I met them, and do I feel safe and comfortable to proceed? Then look at the whole picture, the surgeon’s care, the facility, the anaesthetist, and the support you’ll have in the months afterwards.
Most importantly, take your time. Under current regulations, there is a mandatory cooling off period between consent and booking. Use it.
Ready to take the next step?
Dr. Matthew Peters is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS), with specialist registration in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery. If you have a GP referral and would like to understand exactly what your consultation and surgical fees involve, contact us to arrange an appointment.
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