Your First Plastic Surgery Consultation: What Happens, What to Bring and What It Costs

Key Takeaways

• The first consultation is an assessment and a conversation. You won’t be asked to sign consent forms for surgery, and no surgery is booked on the day.
• For cosmetic surgery you need a referral before your first consultation, preferably from your usual GP.
• The rules require at least two consultations before surgery, at least one in person with the surgeon who will operate. In my practice both are with me: the first can be by video, and the second is in person.
• The consultation covers your health, your reasons and expectations, an examination, the options (including not having surgery), the risks and what recovery involves.
• The consultation fee is $450 and covers both your first and second consultations. Apart from the consultation fee, nothing is payable until the cooling-off period of at least seven days has ended.

A first consultation can feel like a big step, and you may be unsure what will happen or whether you’ll be expected to decide something on the day. You won’t be. The appointment is there to give you accurate information about your own situation, so that whatever you decide, you decide it with the facts in front of you.

In this article I explain what to arrange beforehand, what happens during the appointment, what to bring and ask, what it costs, and the steps between the first consultation and any surgery.

I’m Dr Scott J Turner, a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS). This is general information about how consultations work in my practice and under the current rules.

Before you book: the referral

For cosmetic surgery, you need a referral before your first consultation. This has been a requirement across Australia since 1 July 2023:

• Ideally it comes from your usual GP, who knows your health. If you don’t have a regular GP, another GP or a specialist can refer you.
• The referring doctor must be independent of the surgeon and must not perform cosmetic surgery or non-surgical cosmetic procedures themselves.
• If the operation has a medical reason, such as a breast reduction for symptoms, a valid referral is also needed to claim the Medicare rebate for the consultation at the specialist rate.

I explain the wider rules, including the extra protections for under-18s, in cosmetic surgery rules in Australia.

In person or by video

In my practice, your consultations before surgery are with me, not with a coordinator or adviser. At least one has to be in person. In my practice the first can be by video, and the second is in person.

A video consultation suits a first conversation about options, especially if you live further away. An in-person consultation is needed for a full examination and measurements. A phone call with the practice team is useful for booking and practical questions, but it isn’t one of the consultations, which need to be with me.

What happens at the first consultation

A first consultation generally takes 45 minutes to an hour. It has a clear structure, with room for your questions throughout.

Your health. I’ll ask about your general health, medicines and supplements, smoking and vaping, weight history, previous operations, and anything that affects anaesthetic safety or healing.

Your reasons and expectations. We’ll talk about what’s bothering you, how long it has bothered you, and what you’re hoping surgery would change. Every patient also completes a short, validated screening questionnaire for body dysmorphic disorder, a recognised condition in which, research suggests, surgery rarely helps. It isn’t a judgement. It’s one way of checking whether surgery is the right answer to what you’re bringing to me. If the screening raises a flag, the next step is an assessment with an independent psychologist, psychiatrist or GP before any decision is made.

An examination. I’ll examine the area, and where it helps planning, take clinical photographs with your consent. These are part of your medical record. They’re never used for anything else without your separate consent, and you can decline or withdraw that consent.

Your options. We’ll go through what’s realistically achievable, which approach would suit you and why, and the alternatives, including non-surgical options and not having surgery at all.

Risks and recovery. I’ll explain the risks that apply to you, how they’re managed, the likely recovery time and time off work, and what the first weeks look like.

You’ll leave with written information about the operation, its risks and recovery, and a written quote. You won’t be asked to sign consent forms for surgery on the day.

What to bring

A little preparation makes the appointment more useful:

• Your referral, if it hasn’t already been sent.
• A list of your medicines and supplements, with doses.
• Your medical history, including any previous operations and, where relevant, operation reports or imaging.
• Your questions, written down. They’re easy to forget in the moment.
• Photos, if they help you explain what you mean. The focus will stay on your own anatomy and what’s realistic for you.
• A support person, if you’d like one. A partner, relative or friend can help you remember the details.

Questions worth asking

You’re assessing me as much as I’m assessing you. Useful questions to ask any surgeon include:

• What is your registration, and can I check it on the public register?
• How often do you perform this operation?
• Where will the surgery be done, and who gives the anaesthetic?
• What are the risks for me, and how are complications managed?
• Who looks after me after surgery, including after hours?
• What is the total cost, and what does it include?

My choosing your surgeon guide has a fuller checklist.

What it costs

The consultation fee is $450, and it covers both your first and second consultations. It’s charged at the first consultation and isn’t deducted from the surgical fee.

Purely cosmetic consultations don’t attract a Medicare rebate. If your consultation is for a problem with a medical reason and you have a valid referral, part of the fee may be rebated.

Apart from the consultation fee, no money is payable until the cooling-off period has ended. You’ll receive a written quote at your first consultation, well before you’re asked to consent. It sets out the total cost, what it includes, the deposit and payment dates, the refund terms and the possible costs of any revision or further treatment. It also confirms that cosmetic surgery isn’t covered by Medicare. Indicative prices for each operation are on my plastic surgery prices page.

The steps between your first consultation and surgery

The referral, consultation, consent and cooling-off requirements apply to every doctor who performs cosmetic surgery in Australia, and they’re there to protect you. If you ever feel rushed past them, it’s reasonable to pause or seek a second opinion.

When surgery isn’t the answer

Not every consultation ends with a surgical plan, and that isn’t a wasted appointment. Sometimes an operation is unlikely to give you what you’re hoping for, the timing isn’t right, or a non-surgical option, or doing nothing, is the more sensible choice. Part of my role is to tell you that plainly.

If you’d like to arrange a first consultation, or ask about the referral or the fee, you can contact the practice.

Frequently asked questions

What happens at a plastic surgery consultation?

A first consultation generally takes 45 minutes to an hour. I take your medical history, ask about your reasons and expectations, and examine the area, with clinical photographs if they help planning. Every patient completes a short screening questionnaire for body dysmorphic disorder. We then go through the options, including non-surgical options and not having surgery, along with the risks and recovery. You leave with written information and a written quote. You won’t be asked to sign consent forms for surgery, and no surgery is booked, at the first consultation.

How much does a plastic surgery consultation cost?

My consultation fee is $450, and it covers both your first and second consultations. It’s charged at the first consultation and isn’t deducted from the surgical fee. Purely cosmetic consultations don’t attract a Medicare rebate. If the consultation is for a problem with a medical reason and you have a valid referral, part of the fee may be rebated. Apart from the consultation fee, nothing is payable until the cooling-off period has ended.

Do I need a referral to see a plastic surgeon?

For cosmetic surgery, yes. Since 1 July 2023 you need a referral before your first consultation, preferably from your usual GP, or otherwise from another GP or a specialist. The referring doctor must be independent of the surgeon and must not perform cosmetic surgery or non-surgical cosmetic procedures. For surgery with a medical reason, a valid referral is also needed to claim the Medicare rebate for the consultation at the specialist rate.

Can I have my consultation by video?

Yes, for one of them. The rules require at least two consultations before cosmetic surgery, at least one in person with the surgeon who will operate. In my practice both are with me: the first can be by video, and the second is in person. You can have the first by video and the second in person, which allows a full examination before any decision. A phone call with the practice team isn’t one of the consultations.

Can I book surgery at my first consultation?

No. You can’t be asked to sign consent forms at your first consultation, and you need at least two consultations, one in person with me. After both consultations and signed consent, at least seven days must pass before surgery is booked or a deposit is paid. For under-18s, at least three months must also pass between consent and surgery.