Dr Scott J Turner | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS)
Key Takeaways
- A standard breast lift (mastopexy alone) is $9,000 to $14,000 all-inclusive. The spread is driven mainly by whether Medicare item 45558 and private health cover apply to your case.
- Breast lift with implants is around $20,000 all-inclusive as a single-stage operation, or $20,000 to $25,000 where a two-stage approach is clinically indicated.
- Within each band, price also tracks operating time, so the figure moves with how much work the lift involves. Fees vary between individuals according to the surgical plan.
- All-inclusive covers the surgeon’s fee, private hospital theatre fee, specialist anaesthetist’s fee and routine follow-up. Implant procedures also include the implants and a surgical garment.
- A consultation fee of $450 applies and is not deducted from the surgical fee. A $1,000 surgical deposit is payable only after the second consultation.
- Breast lift is usually cosmetic, which means no Medicare rebate and no private health cover. Item 45558 is the exception where strict clinical criteria are met.
- A firm quote comes after consultation, because the price follows the surgical plan rather than the other way around.
Breast lift surgery cost is usually the second question patients ask, after whether they need the operation at all. It is a reasonable question and a surprisingly hard one to answer from a website, because the honest answer is that the price follows the surgical plan, and the surgical plan follows your anatomy.
What this guide does is set out the ranges, explain what drives the difference between the bottom and top of each, and cover the two situations where the number changes substantially: when implants are added, and when Medicare item 45558 applies. Full detail on the operation itself sits on the breast lift and breast lift with implants pages.
How much does a breast lift cost?
Two figures cover most cases.
Standard breast lift (mastopexy alone): $9,000 to $14,000 all-inclusive. This is the figure for a lift on its own, with no implants and no fat grafting. The spread here is wider than it looks, because it is driven mainly by whether your case qualifies for Medicare item 45558 and the private health cover that an eligible item number activates. A purely cosmetic lift sits toward the upper end. An eligible case, where the fund covers the hospital component, sits toward the lower end. Within that, operating time moves the figure too, so more extensive lifts cost more than limited ones.
Breast lift with implants (augmentation mastopexy): around $20,000 all-inclusive as a single-stage operation, or $20,000 to $25,000 where a two-stage approach is indicated. Combining a lift with implants is among the more technically demanding breast procedures, because the two components exert competing forces during healing. The implants add volume. The lift reshapes and repositions. Getting both to heal well in a single operation takes roughly two and a half hours in theatre, and the figure includes the implants themselves, which run $1,650 to $2,500 per pair.
All figures are all-inclusive rather than surgical fees alone. That distinction matters when comparing quotes, and it is covered below.
These are indicative figures rather than fixed prices. The fee for any individual case depends on the surgical plan agreed at consultation, and a formal itemised written quote is issued after that assessment.
What the price includes
An all-inclusive breast lift price should cover four things:
- The surgical fee. The surgeon’s fee for performing the operation.
- Hospital and theatre costs. The facility fee for an accredited private hospital, including overnight stay where required.
- Anaesthetist fee. A specialist anaesthetist is present for the duration of the operation.
- Routine post-operative care. Standard follow-up appointments through the healing period.
Where implants are used, the all-inclusive figure also covers the implants themselves and a surgical garment.
The reason to check this carefully is that quoted figures are not always comparable. A surgical fee quoted in isolation can look substantially lower than an all-inclusive figure while representing a much larger final cost once hospital and anaesthetic are added. When comparing, the question worth asking is what a quoted number covers.
Costs that sit outside the quote include prescription medication, garments beyond the standard supply, complex revision work, treatment of unrelated conditions arising during recovery, travel and accommodation if you are coming from outside the area, and time off work.
Two further fees sit outside the surgical figure. A consultation fee of $450 applies and is not deducted from the surgical fee. A surgical deposit of $1,000 is payable after the second consultation, never at the first. Final payment falls due 14 days before surgery, and the practice accepts bank transfer, credit card with a surcharge where applicable, and EFTPOS.
On tax: cosmetic procedures carry 10% GST, which is already reflected in the figures above. Where a procedure meets MBS criteria and is medically indicated, it becomes GST-exempt.
How technique moves the figure
Alongside rebate eligibility, the other driver is how much work the operation involves, which in turn tracks how much ptosis is present.
Ptosis is the clinical term for breast descent, and it is graded. Grade 1 (mild) means the nipple sits at or slightly below the inframammary fold. Grade 2 (moderate) means the nipple sits below the fold but above the lowest point of the breast. Grade 3 (severe) means the nipple sits below the lowest point of the breast and points downward. There is also pseudoptosis, where the breast has lost volume and sagged at the bottom while the nipple stays relatively high, which sometimes calls for an implant rather than a lift.
The grade determines the incision pattern, and the incision pattern determines operating time.
Peri-areolar lift (donut lift). An incision around the border of the areola only. Suitable for mild ptosis where limited skin needs removing and the nipple moves only a small distance. Least operating time, and typically the lower end of the range.
Vertical lift (lollipop lift). An incision around the areola plus a vertical line down to the fold. Suitable for moderate ptosis. More skin removal and more internal reshaping than a peri-areolar approach.
Inverted-T lift (anchor lift). Adds a horizontal incision along the inframammary fold. Used for significant ptosis where a large amount of skin needs removing and the nipple travels a considerable distance. The most extensive of the three, the longest operating time, and typically the upper end of the range.
This is why a firm price before assessment is not possible. Two patients both wanting “a breast lift” can need meaningfully different operations.
When implants are added
Where volume loss accompanies descent, which is the usual picture after pregnancy or significant weight loss, a lift alone restores shape and position but does not restore fullness. Adding implants addresses both, and moves the cost into the higher band.
In most cases this is performed as a single operation, at around $20,000 all-inclusive. In specific higher-risk situations, such as severe ptosis, compromised soft tissue, or concerns about blood supply, a two-stage approach is safer, with the lift performed first and implants added months later. That pathway runs $20,000 to $25,000.
Two operations mean two sets of hospital and anaesthetic costs, which is why the upper end of the two-stage range sits above the single-stage figure. The lower end reflects the fact that when the lift is performed as a standalone operation, item 45558 may apply to that stage if the clinical criteria are met, whereas it can never apply to a combined lift-and-implant procedure.
That is a consequence of the clinical decision rather than a reason for it. Whether surgery is staged is determined by surgical safety and tissue quality, assessed at consultation, and structuring an operation around rebate eligibility would not be appropriate. The staged surgery guide covers how that decision is reached.
If you are still working out whether you need a lift, implants, or both, the breast lift versus breast augmentation comparison covers that question first, since it changes which band applies.
Medicare item 45558 and what it changes
Breast lift surgery is usually classified as cosmetic, which means no Medicare rebate and no private health fund contribution toward hospital or anaesthetic costs.
MBS item 45558 is the exception. It may apply to a bilateral lift where strict clinical criteria are met, most commonly severe ptosis following pregnancy or massive weight loss, or significant breast asymmetry. The criteria require that at least two-thirds of the breast tissue including the nipple lies below the inframammary fold, with the nipple at the most dependent part of the breast contour. Photographic evidence must be documented in the patient notes, comprising anterior, left lateral and right lateral views with a marker placed at the level of the inframammary fold. The item is claimable once per lifetime.
Three points are worth understanding about what eligibility changes.
The Medicare benefit itself is modest relative to the total cost. The schedule fee for item 45558 is $1,375.20, and the Medicare benefit is 75% of that, $1,031.40. For an insured patient treated in a private hospital the fund covers the remaining 25%, so the combined benefit reaches the full schedule fee. An uninsured patient receives the 75% Medicare benefit only. Either way it applies to the surgeon’s professional fee, with the anaesthetist rebated separately under its own item. These figures are indexed annually on 1 July, so check the current schedule at the time of surgery.
The larger financial effect is that an eligible item number activates private health insurance cover for the hospital component, if you hold appropriate cover with the relevant waiting periods served. Where that applies, the hospital fee is not charged to you at all and you pay only your fund excess. A gap payment on the surgeon and anaesthetist fees still applies. The procedure also becomes GST-exempt. Taken together, an eligible case costs materially less than the full cosmetic figure.
Item 45558 cannot be claimed alongside the insertion of an implant. A standard lift-with-implants combination therefore does not attract the rebate, even where the lift component would otherwise qualify.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: item 45558 previously carried a restriction tied to how recently you had been pregnant. That restriction was removed on 1 November 2021, and pregnancy timing is no longer a criterion.
Whether your presentation meets the criteria is a clinical determination made at consultation against examination findings and measurements. It is not something that can be assessed from photographs sent in advance or estimated from a description. Further detail on the assessment sits in the Medicare breast lift guide.
Getting an accurate quote
Since 1 July 2023, the AHPRA cosmetic surgery guidelines apply to breast lift surgery. Four requirements shape the pathway to a quote.
A referral from your GP, or from another specialist physician, is required before proceeding to consultation. A minimum of two consultations is required before surgery is booked. Psychological factors are assessed, with referral for formal evaluation where indicated. And a mandatory cooling-off period sits between consent and surgery.
Practically, this means a written quote follows the first consultation rather than preceding it, because the quote depends on the surgical plan, and the surgical plan depends on assessment. It also means there is deliberate time built into the process between receiving a quote and committing to surgery.
What a breast lift involves
Breast lift surgery repositions the breast higher on the chest wall, reshapes the breast tissue, and typically reduces and repositions the areola. It removes excess skin, tightens the remaining skin envelope, and lifts the nipple-areola complex to a higher position on the breast mound.
What it does not do is add volume. This is the most common misunderstanding raised in consultations. If your breasts have lost significant volume after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss, a lift alone restores shape and position but will not give back the fullness you had before.
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia and usually takes two to three hours, longer if implants are added. Most patients stay overnight. A support garment is worn for several weeks afterward.
Recovery and time off work
Recovery has a cost of its own, in time rather than fees, and it is worth factoring in.
Days one to three involve the most discomfort, with swelling, tightness and soreness across the chest. Through week one, most patients manage light daily tasks at home, with reaching overhead and heavy lifting off limits. Weeks two to three, most patients return to desk-based work. Weeks four to six, light exercise is progressively reintroduced while chest, shoulder and upper body work stays restricted. From week six, return to strenuous activity is individualised, with most patients resuming everything between six and eight weeks.
Recovery varies between individuals, and patients who smoke, have diabetes, or have other healing risk factors may take longer. Physical or manual roles generally require more time off than desk-based work.
Scars and long-term results
Every breast lift produces scars. What varies is location and visibility.
Peri-areolar scars sit at the border of the areola and tend to blend well because of the pigment transition. Vertical scars run from the areola down to the fold and are the most visible component in the early healing phase. Inverted-T scars add a horizontal component along the fold, which is hidden within the natural crease when standing. Scars mature over 12 to 18 months, starting more visible and fading progressively.
Outcomes vary based on starting anatomy, incision pattern, and individual healing. A well-performed lift produces a long-lasting improvement, but surgery does not freeze the breast in place. Further pregnancy, significant weight change, and ageing all affect the long-term result, which is why timing surgery after completion of family is usually recommended. Detailed scar guidance sits in the breast lift scars guide, and examples of outcomes are in the breast lift with implants gallery. Photographic examples are a reference point rather than a guarantee, since the same surgical plan produces different results across different patients.
Risks worth factoring in
Breast lift surgery carries risks that need to be understood before proceeding, and some carry potential cost implications.
- Bleeding and haematoma, sometimes requiring a return to theatre
- Infection, uncommon but possible
- Wound healing problems, more common in smokers, diabetics, or patients with other healing risk factors
- Changes to nipple or skin sensation, typically temporary but occasionally permanent
- Loss of nipple blood supply, rare but serious in severe ptosis cases
- Asymmetry that may require revision
- Scar issues, including thick, raised, or pigmented scars in predisposed patients
- Recurrence of ptosis over time, particularly after further pregnancy or weight change
- Interference with breastfeeding, uncommon but possible depending on technique
- Need for revision surgery, whether for complications, asymmetry, or recurrence
Revision surgery, if needed, carries its own cost. Risks are discussed in detail at consultation.
Cost is not the only comparison
The title “surgeon” in Australia is not protected the way most people assume, and cosmetic procedures can be performed by doctors with widely varying levels of surgical training. Price differences between providers sometimes reflect that difference in training rather than anything about the operation itself.
The qualification to look for is FRACS (Plastic Surgery), the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic Surgery. Achieving FRACS involves a minimum of 12 years of training after medical school, including at least five years of accredited plastic surgery training.
Questions worth asking:
- How often do you perform breast lift surgery specifically?
- Which hospitals do you operate at, and are they accredited?
- What incision pattern would you recommend for my anatomy, and why?
- Does the quoted figure include hospital and anaesthetist fees?
- How do you manage complications if they occur, and what would revision cost?
- What does follow-up care look like, and is it included?
Full credentials and background are available on the practice bio page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a breast lift cost in Australia?
A standard breast lift (mastopexy alone) is $9,000 to $14,000 all-inclusive. The main reason for that spread is whether Medicare item 45558 and the private health cover it activates apply to your case, with eligible cases sitting toward the lower end. Operating time moves the figure as well, since a peri-areolar lift for mild ptosis involves less tissue work than an inverted-T lift for significant descent. Breast lift with implants is around $20,000 all-inclusive as a single-stage operation, or $20,000 to $25,000 where a two-stage approach is clinically indicated. A $450 consultation fee applies separately. Fees vary between individuals, and a formal written quote is provided after consultation.
Why does the cost of a breast lift vary so much between surgeons?
Three reasons account for most of it. First, what the quoted figure covers, since a surgical fee alone is not comparable to an all-inclusive price that includes hospital, anaesthetist and follow-up. Second, the operation itself, since a peri-areolar lift and an inverted-T lift are meaningfully different procedures. Third, the surgeon’s training and the accreditation of the facility used. When comparing quotes, establishing what each number includes is the first step.
Does Medicare cover a breast lift?
Usually not. Breast lift surgery is generally classified as cosmetic, which means no rebate. MBS item 45558 is the exception, applying to a bilateral lift where at least two-thirds of the breast tissue including the nipple sits below the inframammary fold, supported by documented photographic evidence, and claimable once per lifetime. The benefit applies to the surgeon’s professional fee only, and the current schedule fee and benefit are set out above, indexed annually on 1 July. The item cannot be claimed alongside insertion of an implant. Eligibility is determined by clinical presentation at consultation, not from photographs sent in advance.
Will private health insurance pay for a breast lift?
Only where an eligible MBS item number applies. For cosmetic breast lift surgery, private health funds do not contribute to hospital or anaesthetic costs. Where item 45558 criteria are met and you hold appropriate cover with waiting periods served, the fund covers the hospital fee and you pay only your excess, which is usually a larger saving than the Medicare rebate itself. A gap on the surgeon and anaesthetist fees still applies. Confirming this with your fund directly, using the item number, is worth doing before surgery is booked.
Can I get a price before consultation?
You can get the typical ranges, which is what this guide provides. A firm quote requires assessment, because the price follows the surgical plan, and the plan depends on your ptosis grade, the incision pattern indicated, whether implants are involved, and whether any Medicare item number applies. Under the AHPRA framework a minimum of two consultations is required before surgery is booked, so there is time between quote and commitment.
Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) consulting in Sydney. A GP referral is required before an initial surgical consultation under the current Medical Board of Australia framework. What a lift costs in any individual case depends on the degree of ptosis, the incision pattern indicated and whether implants are involved, which is assessed against your own measurements rather than a general range, so to have that worked through properly, contact the practice to arrange a consultation.
