By Dr Scott J Turner — Specialist Plastic Surgeon, FRACS
Cost is usually the second question at an eyelid surgery consultation. Sometimes the first.
Brisbane patients researching blepharoplasty run into a specific problem: most published pricing is vague, most of it is Sydney or Melbourne pricing with no explanation of what applies in Queensland, and very little of it explains what the figure actually includes. This article sets out the numbers Dr Turner publishes, what sits behind them, and what is different — and what isn’t — for a patient consulting in Brisbane.
The Short Answer
Upper blepharoplasty with Dr Turner starts from $6,000. Lower blepharoplasty is $9,000 to $14,000. Combined upper and lower surgery is quoted individually after examination.
All figures are all-inclusive: surgeon, hospital, anaesthesia, and all follow-up appointments. There is no separate hospital or anaesthetist bill arriving later.
The consultation fee is $450. A surgical deposit of $1,000 is payable only after the second consultation — not at the first, and never before Queensland’s mandatory seven-day cooling-off period has been observed.
Why Upper and Lower Blepharoplasty Are Priced Differently
The gap between the two figures is not arbitrary. It reflects three real differences.
Anaesthesia. Upper blepharoplasty may be performed under local anaesthesia with sedation in selected patients. That changes the anaesthetic requirement and the facility time, and the from $6,000 figure reflects it. Lower blepharoplasty is always performed in hospital under general anaesthetic — the fat compartments being addressed sit close to structures that demand a controlled operative setting.
Surgical complexity. Upper blepharoplasty is a measured skin excision with conservative fat management where indicated. Lower blepharoplasty involves either the transconjunctival approach, which requires precise fat repositioning through the inside of the lid, or the transcutaneous approach, which adds skin excision and sometimes lid support. More operative decisions, more operative time.
Setting. The lower blepharoplasty range covers the private hospital admission in full. Nothing about the hospital setting is optional for lower lid surgery.
Combined upper and lower blepharoplasty isn’t priced as a simple sum of the two — operating time overlaps, one anaesthetic covers both, and the quote is built after Dr Turner has examined which components your anatomy actually needs.
What “All-Inclusive” Means Here
Some quotes in this field cover the surgeon’s fee only, with hospital and anaesthetist fees arriving as separate accounts. Dr Turner’s figures cover the lot: surgeon’s fee, accredited private hospital fees, specialist anaesthetist, and every scheduled follow-up appointment — including your routine post-operative reviews in Brisbane.
When comparing quotes between practices, this is the first thing to check. A lower headline figure that excludes the hospital and anaesthetist is not a lower price. It’s an incomplete one.
Does Medicare Cover Any of It?
Sometimes — for the upper lids only, and only where strict functional criteria are met.
Upper blepharoplasty may attract a Medicare item number where excess upper eyelid skin demonstrably impairs the upper visual field. Establishing that requires a GP referral and formal visual field testing. Where the criteria are met, a Medicare rebate applies to part of the cost, and private health insurance may contribute toward hospital fees depending on your cover. The cosmetic component of the same operation is not covered.
Lower blepharoplasty has no equivalent functional indication and is not Medicare-eligible.
Eligibility is assessed case by case at consultation — the full mechanics are explained in Blepharoplasty and Medicare in Australia.
The Brisbane Question: Does Consulting Locally Change the Price?
No. The surgical fee is identical whether you consult in Sydney or Brisbane, because the surgery itself happens in the same accredited Sydney private hospitals with the same theatre team either way.
What Brisbane patients budget for separately is the trip: flights and a short Sydney stay around the surgical date. Blepharoplasty is the shortest interstate trip in Dr Turner’s practice — most cases are day surgery, and upper blepharoplasty in selected patients is performed under local anaesthesia with sedation. Your first post-operative review happens in Sydney within the first week; after that, every routine appointment — suture care, wound review, scar monitoring — runs through Herstellen Clinic in Spring Hill at no additional consultation cost, because follow-up is part of the all-inclusive fee.
Consultation, planning, and recovery care stay local. Only the operation travels.
Candidacy, Medicare screening and a written itemised quote are all part of blepharoplasty Brisbane consultations at Herstellen Clinic, 490 Boundary Street, Spring Hill.
What Moves a Quote Up or Down
Five factors, in practice:
- Upper, lower, or both — the largest variable by far
- Anaesthetic type — local with sedation versus general anaesthesia for upper lid surgery
- Fat management — repositioning is more involved than removal alone
- Lid support procedures — canthopexy or canthoplasty where lower lid tone requires it
- Combined facial surgery — adding a brow lift or facelift changes operating time, anaesthesia and admission
None of these can be priced from a website or a photograph, which is why the itemised quote follows examination — not the other way around.
The Process Before Any Price Is Final
The consultation fee is $450. At that appointment Dr Turner examines the eyelid anatomy, screens brow position and lid function, takes an ocular history including dry eye risk, and assesses any Medicare component. A written itemised quote follows.
A minimum of two consultations is required before any surgical decision, both with Dr Turner personally. Queensland’s seven-day cooling-off period applies after you receive the written quote, and the $1,000 deposit is payable only after the second consultation. For context across all procedures, see plastic surgery prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does blepharoplasty cost in Brisbane? Upper blepharoplasty with Dr Turner starts from $6,000 all-inclusive. Lower blepharoplasty is $9,000 to $14,000 all-inclusive. Combined surgery is quoted individually after examination. Figures include surgeon, hospital, anaesthesia and all follow-up appointments — including routine post-operative reviews at Herstellen Clinic in Spring Hill.
Why is lower blepharoplasty more expensive than upper? Lower blepharoplasty is always performed under general anaesthetic in a private hospital, and the surgery itself is more complex — precise fat repositioning or removal, sometimes with skin excision and lid support. Upper blepharoplasty can be performed under local anaesthesia with sedation in selected patients, which the from $6,000 figure reflects.
Does Medicare cover blepharoplasty for Brisbane patients? Only upper blepharoplasty, and only where excess skin demonstrably impairs the upper visual field — confirmed by GP referral and formal visual field testing. Where criteria are met, a rebate applies to part of the cost. Lower blepharoplasty is not Medicare-eligible. Eligibility is assessed at consultation.
Do I pay more because the surgery happens in Sydney? The surgical fee is identical — surgery is performed at the same accredited Sydney hospitals regardless of where you consult. Brisbane patients budget separately for flights and a short Sydney stay. Most blepharoplasty is day surgery, making it the shortest interstate trip in the practice, and all routine follow-up runs through Herstellen Clinic in Brisbane within the all-inclusive fee.
What does the $450 consultation fee cover? A full examination of eyelid anatomy, brow position and lid function, ocular history including dry eye risk, Medicare eligibility screening where relevant, and a written itemised quote. A minimum of two consultations is required before surgery, and Queensland’s seven-day cooling-off period applies after the written quote is provided.
This information is educational in nature and does not constitute medical advice. All surgical procedures carry risks. Outcomes vary between individuals. A comprehensive consultation is required to assess suitability and discuss risks specific to your circumstances. Dr Scott J Turner — FRACS | AHPRA: MED0001654827. This website contains imagery suitable for audiences 18+ only. A mandatory cooling-off period applies before any cosmetic surgical procedure as required by AHPRA guidelines.
About Your Surgeon
Dr Scott J Turner is an AHPRA-registered Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) consulting in Sydney (Manly and Bondi Junction), Brisbane and Canberra. His practice focuses on facial aesthetic surgery, rhinoplasty and cosmetic breast surgery, performed at accredited private hospitals in Sydney. Dr Turner emphasises individual patient assessment, surgical planning and clear information on risks, recovery and costs, holds Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
