Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Melbourne: A Patient Guide
Being referred to a plastic and reconstructive surgeon often raises more questions than it answers. You may be wondering why your GP has suggested a specialist opinion, whether you will definitely need an operation, what the first appointment involves, and how long recovery might take.
In most cases, a specialist opinion is a routine and sensible step. It means a skin lesion, a hand injury, or a change following earlier surgery can be properly assessed and, where treatment is appropriate, planned rather than rushed. Seeing a surgeon does not always mean surgery. Many consultations end with reassurance, monitoring, or a non-surgical option.
This guide explains what the specialty covers, why people are commonly referred, what usually happens from the first consultation through to follow-up, and how costs and health fund cover generally work. It also explains how patients across Melbourne can access plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery at Adeney Private Hospital in Kew.
It is general information only. Your own diagnosis, options, risks and recovery should be discussed with your GP and your treating specialist, who know your medical history.
What Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Involves
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is a surgical specialty concerned with repairing, restoring and reshaping body tissues. It covers a wide range of work, from removing and reconstructing skin cancers to hand and nerve surgery, breast reconstruction, and complex tissue repair after injury. Across Melbourne it is provided in both public and private hospitals, and much of it is planned rather than emergency care.
Many specialist plastic surgeons hold Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic Surgery, shown after their name as FRACS (Plast). Patients can check a doctor’s registration and recognised specialty on the AHPRA register.
Reconstructive or Cosmetic: Why the Distinction Matters
The specialty is usually described in two parts, and the difference affects what you may pay.
Reconstructive surgery aims to restore function or appearance after cancer, trauma, or a condition present from birth. Where the procedure is clinically indicated and matches a
relevant item in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), it may attract a Medicare rebate and health fund benefits.
Cosmetic surgery is chosen to change appearance where there is no underlying medical problem. It is generally not covered by Medicare or private health insurance, and it is specifically excluded from zero out-of-pocket arrangements.
Many surgeons work across both areas, and a single operation can serve both purposes, such as breast reconstruction after a mastectomy or repair of the face after a skin cancer is removed. Ask your surgeon how your particular procedure is classified, because the answer usually determines your costs.
Common Reasons People Are Referred
People are sent for a specialist opinion for many different reasons. Skin cancer is one of the most common: a lesion needs to be removed and the area repaired or reconstructed. Others include breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery, hand conditions and injuries, and reconstruction after trauma or a previous operation.
Specialist assessment is also appropriate for complex or slow-healing wounds, scarring that restricts movement or causes discomfort, and benign lumps or skin lesions that need a surgical opinion. In many of these cases the surgeon simply examines the problem, explains the findings, and advises whether treatment is needed at all.
Skin Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction
Cancer Council Australia reports that Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, that about two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70, and that non-melanoma skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. This is why skin cancer work makes up such a large part of the specialty.
When a skin cancer is removed, the aim is to clear it completely while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. On the face, and in other visible or functionally important areas, how the wound is closed matters for both healing and appearance.
Depending on the size and site of the lesion, your surgeon may close the area directly, use a skin graft, or use a local flap to move nearby tissue into position. Where appropriate, tissue removed during surgery may be sent for pathology, and those results help guide whether any further treatment is recommended. Your surgeon will explain which approach suits your situation and why.
Hand Surgery, Nerve Repair and Microsurgery
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons also treat conditions of the hand and complex tissue problems that call for microsurgical techniques. Hand surgery may address tendon and nerve injuries, fractures, and conditions affecting grip and movement. Microsurgery uses very fine instruments, usually under magnification, to repair small blood vessels and nerves, and underpins many reconstructive procedures.
The goal is to restore function as well as appearance. Recovery in this area often depends as much on rehabilitation as on the operation itself, and your surgeon will explain whether hand therapy is likely to form part of your care.
Do You Need a Referral to See a Specialist?
Two separate things are often confused here, and it helps to keep them apart when arranging plastic and reconstructive surgery in Melbourne.
Adeney’s booking process. To be seen by a specialist who consults at Adeney Private Hospital, the hospital asks that you visit your GP and obtain a referral to one of the specialists listed on its Our Doctors page. This is the pathway described in the hospital’s own frequently asked questions, and it is how appointments and admissions are ordinarily arranged. GPs can find referring details on the GP and Referrer Information page and the Our Doctors page.
Medicare’s requirements. Separately, Medicare requires a valid referral before it will pay a rebate on a specialist’s attendance. Under Services Australia’s rules, the letter must include relevant clinical information, the date, and the referring practitioner’s signature. It does not have to name a particular surgeon, and you can choose which specialist to present it to. Another specialist can also refer you, rather than a GP, although those letters are valid for a shorter period.
A GP referral generally runs for 12 months from the date the specialist first sees you, unless a different period is stated on it, and GPs may refer for longer where ongoing care is needed.
In short: You may be able to see a specialist without a referral, but you would generally not be able to claim a Medicare rebate for the consultation, and Adeney’s booking process begins with a GP referral. If yours has expired, or you are unsure whether it still applies, ask the specialist rooms before your appointment.
From First Consultation to Follow-up
Every patient is different, but the sequence is usually similar. It begins with a referral, then a specialist consultation. At that appointment the surgeon reviews your history, examines the area, and considers any imaging, biopsy or pathology results. Further tests may be arranged if needed.
If an operation is a reasonable option, the surgeon will explain the risks, the likely benefits, the alternatives including doing nothing for now, and the expected recovery, so you can make an informed decision. Where you decide to proceed, the specialist rooms and the hospital team arrange booking and admission. This is also the point to ask about costs and whether your procedure is classified as reconstructive or cosmetic.
Preparing for Your First Consultation
A little preparation makes the appointment more useful. It helps to bring your referral, any imaging or scans, biopsy or pathology results, a list of your current medications, and your Medicare and private health fund details.
Writing your questions down in advance is worthwhile, because it is easy to forget them on the day. You may wish to ask:
- What is my diagnosis, and does it need treatment now?
- What are my options, including any alternatives to surgery?
- What does the procedure involve, and what are the risks and possible complications? ● Is this procedure considered reconstructive or cosmetic, and how does that affect my costs?
- What is the likely recovery, and what might delay it?
- Will I need follow-up treatment, therapy, or further surgery?
- Who do I contact if I have a problem after I go home?
Bringing a support person can help you take in the information and remember what was discussed.
On the Day of Surgery
Before your operation, the hospital team will provide admission instructions, and your surgeon’s rooms will confirm your fasting instructions, your admission time, and which medications to continue or pause. Depending on the procedure, surgery may be performed under local anaesthetic, sedation, or general anaesthetic. Where a general anaesthetic is used you will usually meet the anaesthetist beforehand.
Some procedures are carried out as day surgery, while others involve an overnight (or longer) stay, so the hospital team can monitor your recovery. Your surgeon and the hospital
will tell you which applies to you. The hospital’s frequently asked questions set out what to bring and what to leave at home.
Recovery and Follow-up
After surgery you will be given guidance on wound care, dressings, and pain relief. Where pathology has been taken, the results are usually discussed at a follow-up appointment, which also allows the team to check your healing and plan any further care. Attending your follow-up appointment is important, even if you feel well.
Return to work and everyday activity varies by procedure and by person. Some people resume light activity within a week or two, while more involved surgery and hand procedures may take considerably longer and may require therapy or rehabilitation. Recovery cannot be predicted precisely in advance, and your surgeon is best placed to advise when it is safe for you to drive, lift, and return to exercise. General guidance for patients is available in the Patient Information section.
Costs, Medicare and Health Fund Cover
Cost is an understandable concern, and it is worth sorting out before you commit to a procedure.
Medicare. A Medicare rebate is not automatic. It may be payable where the service is clinically indicated, corresponds to a relevant MBS item number, and the referral requirements have been met. Procedures performed to change appearance where there is no medical indication are generally not covered. Your surgeon’s rooms can tell you the item numbers that apply to your procedure, which you can then check with Medicare.
Private health insurance. Whether your fund contributes depends on your level of cover, whether you have served the relevant waiting periods, and your policy’s exclusions. Your surgeon will give you an item number so you can confirm with your fund that you are covered for that specific procedure.
Zero out-of-pocket arrangements. Adeney Private Hospital states that it was the first private hospital in Australia to offer zero out-of-pocket costs across its full suite of hospital services for members of participating funds. According to the hospital, these arrangements currently apply to eligible Medibank Private and Bupa members admitted as inpatients, and cover eligible inpatient hospital services including surgeon, surgical assistant, anaesthetist and perioperative physician fees, onsite radiology, and inpatient pathology, pharmacy and physiotherapy where appropriate. Whether they apply to you depends on your fund, your level of cover and your policy terms.
These arrangements are subject to exceptions. An excess or co-payment may still be payable under your policy. Additional costs may arise for cosmetic procedures, services not covered by your policy, prostheses not included on the Government’s Prescribed List, non-PBS medicines, ancillary costs such as parking or personal laundry, and other non-standard care. For fund-specific details, see Adeney’s Bupa and Medibank information pages. Before admission, confirm with your health fund and the hospital that your procedure is covered and whether any additional charges apply. The treating doctor and the hospital will provide informed financial consent to help avoid unexpected costs.
Patients insured with other funds can also be treated at Adeney, provided their policy covers the procedure, and the hospital publishes separate information for patients without private health insurance.
Before you proceed. Confirm your position with three parties rather than one: Medicare, for the rebate that applies to your item numbers; your health fund, for your level of cover, waiting periods, excess and exclusions; and your specialist’s rooms, for a written cost estimate. Adeney states that the treating doctor and the hospital provide informed financial consent before admission, which is intended to avoid unexpected charges.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Adeney Private Hospital
Adeney Private Hospital is at 209 Cotham Road, Kew VIC 3101, with the main entrance and carpark access via Adeney Avenue. It provides planned surgical care to patients across Melbourne’s inner east, including Hawthorn, Camberwell, Balwyn and the wider Boroondara area, as well as neighbouring areas such as Box Hill and Doncaster. Patients travelling from other suburbs within Melbourne, elsewhere in Victoria and interstate are also treated at Adeney Private. All patient rooms are single occupancy with a private ensuite, and the hospital advises that the first two hours of onsite parking are free.
Surgeons Consulting at Adeney
Several accredited plastic and reconstructive surgeons consult at Adeney, and between them they cover skin cancer, hand and nerve surgery, microsurgery, breast reconstruction, and complex reconstruction. Because each surgeon has a different area of focus, it is worth knowing who works most closely in the area relevant to you.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Mr Frank Lin (profile, PDF) lists interests in skin cancer, aesthetic surgery, Asian aesthetics, mammoplasty, body surgery, and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). His practice spans both reconstructive and aesthetic work.
Associate Professor Dean White (profile, PDF) lists interests in complex skin cancers, together with reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body.
Associate Professor Scott Ferris (profile, PDF) lists interests in skin cancer, traumatic hand surgery, nerve surgery and reconstruction, microsurgery, head and neck cancer surgery, and lower limb reconstruction.
Mr Vachara Niumsawatt (profile, PDF) lists interests in breast surgery, facial reconstruction, microsurgery, skin cancer surgery, and hand surgery.
Other plastic and reconstructive surgeons also consult at the hospital. Current specialists, their stated areas of interest, qualifications and consulting rooms are listed on the Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery page, which is kept up to date as surgeons join or change their consulting arrangements.
Booking and Admission
Ask your GP for a referral to one of the specialists listed on the hospital’s website. From there, the specialist rooms and the hospital team guide you through consultation, booking, admission and cost estimates. Admission forms are completed online, and the hospital confirms your admission date while your surgeon’s rooms confirm the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a plastic and reconstructive surgeon do?
They repair, restore and reshape body tissues. Common work includes skin cancer removal and reconstruction, breast reconstruction, hand and nerve surgery, microsurgery, and repair after trauma. Many also perform cosmetic procedures that focus on appearance.
Is all plastic surgery cosmetic?
No. Much of it is reconstructive, meaning it treats a medical or functional problem such as skin cancer, injury, or a condition affecting movement. Reconstructive procedures may attract a Medicare rebate and health fund benefits. Cosmetic surgery, chosen to change appearance where there is no medical problem, generally does not.
Do I need a GP referral to see a plastic and reconstructive surgeon?
Two separate things apply. Medicare needs a valid referral before it will pay a rebate on the consultation, and under its rules the letter does not have to name a particular surgeon. Separately, Adeney’s own booking process asks that you obtain a GP referral to a specialist
listed on its website. A GP referral generally lasts 12 months from the date the specialist first sees you. If you have any questions, please contact our Patient Services team on 03 7049 5000 and they will provide answers and support.
What happens at my first consultation?
The surgeon reviews your referral, history and any imaging or pathology results, and examines the area of concern. They will explain the findings, discuss whether treatment is needed, and outline the options along with the risks, benefits and likely recovery. You should have time to ask questions before deciding anything.
Will Medicare cover my surgery?
Not automatically. A rebate may be payable where the procedure is clinically indicated, matches a relevant MBS item number, and referral requirements have been met. Procedures performed purely to change appearance are generally not covered. Ask your surgeon’s rooms for the item numbers and confirm the rebate with Medicare.
Will private health insurance cover my procedure?
It depends on your level of cover, your waiting periods and your policy exclusions. Your surgeon will provide an item number so you can check with your fund. Eligible Medibank Private and Bupa members admitted as inpatients at Adeney may have no out-of-pocket costs for eligible inpatient hospital services, subject to policy terms and exclusions. Any excess or co-payment on your policy is still payable before admission, as it would be at any private hospital, and cosmetic procedures are excluded.
Will I need to stay overnight after surgery?
It depends on the procedure. Some operations are done as day surgery, while others involve an overnight (or longer) stay so the team can monitor your recovery. Your surgeon and the hospital team will confirm which applies to you.
How long does recovery usually take?
Recovery varies with the procedure and the individual, and cannot be predicted exactly. Some people return to light activity within a week or two, while more involved surgery and hand procedures may take longer and require therapy or rehabilitation. Your surgeon will advise on wound care and returning to your usual activities.
When can I drive and return to work?
This depends on the procedure, the anaesthetic used, and how you recover. Your surgeon will advise when it is safe. Do not drive while you have movement restrictions, or while taking medication that affects your alertness.
How do I arrange care at Adeney Private Hospital?
Ask your GP whether a referral to one of the specialists listed on the hospital’s website is appropriate. Once a referral is in place, the specialist rooms and hospital team guide you through consultation, booking, admission and cost estimates. General enquiries can be directed to (03) 7049 5000.
Talking to Your GP About the Next Step
If your GP believes a specialist opinion is appropriate, they can refer you to one of the accredited plastic and reconstructive surgeons consulting at Adeney Private Hospital. Having your referral, imaging and any test results ready will help the first consultation run smoothly.
You can review current specialists on the Our Doctors page. For general enquiries about accessing care, call (03) 7049 5000 or contact Adeney Private Hospital.