procedures/body
Post Weight Loss Surgery
About
These are a group of procedures to remove excess skin after significant weight loss.. They include Brachioplasty (arm lift), Thighplasty (thigh lift) and body lift. Abdominoplasty and Breast surgery are discussed on other pages.
Hospital
The procedure is performed in a Fully accredited hospital under General Anaesthesia. Hospital stay is between 2-5 days depending on the individual procedure performed.
Recovery
Depending on the job you have, it is best to have at least 4 weeks off work, and/or help with small children for this time. It will take up to 3 months for a full recovery.
Fees
The total fee has 3 components, the Surgeon's fee, the Anaesthetic fee, and the Hospital fee. If you have private cover and qualify for the Medicare item number your total fee will be approximately $9500.00, before any rebates. If you do not have insurance, or do not qualify, the hospital fee will be an additional $5,000 - $6,000.
Medicare eligibility
In regards to lipectomy surgery there is only a Medicare item number available for patients who meet the following criteria: (1) there is intertrigo or another skin condition that risks loss of skin integrity and has failed 3 months of conventional (or non surgical) treatment; (2) the redundant skin and fat interferes with the activities of daily living; and (3) the weight has been stable for at least 6 months following significant weight loss prior to the lipectomy.
Check your cover
You should call your healthfund and check that you have the appropriate level of cover for this operation. The item number for this operation is 30171.