Breast Surgery with Dr Scott J Turner
Specialist Plastic Surgeon is a protected title under the National Law. It may only be used by doctors holding specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia in plastic and reconstructive surgery — a pathway that follows medical school with a minimum of five years of accredited surgical training and college examinations. Dr Turner holds that registration (AHPRA MED0001654827) and is certified by the ANZBCPS.
Breast surgery is carried out at three accredited private hospitals across Sydney: Bondi Junction Private Hospital, Delmar Private Hospital at Dee Why, and East Sydney Private Hospital. Each is licensed for overnight admission where required, with anaesthesia provided by a specialist anaesthetist.
Consultations are held in Sydney at Bondi Junction and Manly, and monthly in Canberra, and follow a set process. You will attend at least two consultations before any breast surgery is scheduled, the first of these with Dr Turner. That first appointment covers your goals, medical history, examination and measurement, and a frank discussion of which procedures are and are not suitable for you — including where the answer is that surgery is not warranted. The second reviews the plan, the risks specific to your anatomy, and what recovery will actually involve. Once you have given informed consent, a seven-day cooling-off period applies before the date of surgery, in line with Medical Board of Australia requirements. A GP referral is required.
Breast Procedures
Dr Turner performs the breast surgery procedures below in Sydney. Each has its own page setting out technique, recovery, risks and indicative cost.
Breast Augmentation
Augmentation uses implants to increase volume and improve balance between the two sides. It suits women whose breasts have not developed to the size they would like, or who have lost upper pole fullness after pregnancy or weight change, and whose tissue still sits in reasonable position on the chest wall. Implant type, profile and placement are selected at consultation and measured against your chest dimensions rather than chosen from a size alone. Fat grafting may be combined with an implant in selected cases to soften the upper border.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
A mastopexy raises the nipple and reshapes the existing tissue without adding volume. It is intended for women whose breasts have descended after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight change, and whose nipple now sits at or below the level of the inframammary fold. The scar pattern follows the degree of correction needed — confined around the areola for minor descent, or vertical or anchor-pattern where more skin must be removed. Volume is not increased by a lift on its own.
Breast Lift with Implants
Combining the two addresses descent and volume loss in one operation, and is the more common request after pregnancy where the breast has both dropped and emptied in the upper pole. The two components pull against one another to a degree: the lift determines position and shape, the implant determines volume. Dr Turner will discuss whether a single operation or a staged approach suits your tissue better.
Breast Reduction
Reduction removes glandular tissue, fat and skin to reduce size and lift the remaining tissue into position. It is usually sought for physical symptoms — neck, shoulder and back pain, grooving from bra straps, rashes beneath the fold, and restriction of exercise. Where documented clinical criteria are met, a Medicare item number may apply. Nipple sensation and the ability to breastfeed can both be affected, and each is discussed in detail before you decide whether to proceed.
Tuberous Breast Correction
Tuberous development produces a narrow base, a constricted lower pole and an enlarged or puffy areola, frequently with marked asymmetry between the two sides. It becomes apparent at puberty rather than developing later. Correction generally combines release of the constricting tissue at the base, reshaping of the lower pole and reduction of the areola, with an implant used to restore volume where required. The degree of correction achievable varies with severity.
Breast Implant Revision and Removal
Revision surgery addresses problems that develop over time: capsular contracture, malposition, rippling, rupture, or a change in what you want from the result. Removal alone, removal with replacement, and removal combined with a lift are all options, and which applies depends on the condition of the capsule and the quality of the remaining tissue. Imaging is generally arranged beforehand. Women considering removal because of systemic symptoms are assessed individually.
Body Procedures
Both body procedures below are performed in Sydney.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Abdominoplasty repairs the separation of the abdominal muscles that occurs during pregnancy — diastasis recti — and removes the loose skin left across the lower abdomen afterwards. It suits women who have completed their family planning, whose weight has been stable, and who have a BMI below 29. Exercise will not close a muscle separation, nor tighten skin that has lost its elasticity, which is why abdominal training often makes little difference to the shape of the lower abdomen after pregnancy.
Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty reduces the labia minora where the tissue causes discomfort with exercise, cycling, intercourse or particular clothing. Reasons for seeking it are more often functional than appearance alone. There is wide normal variation in labial anatomy, and part of the consultation is establishing whether surgery is warranted at all. The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia as a day case, with a defined recovery period before returning to exercise.
Is Breast Surgery Covered by Medicare?
Some procedures may attract a Medicare Benefits Schedule item number where strict clinical criteria are met. Where an item number applies, a private health fund may also contribute towards hospital and theatre costs. Reduction is the most common example — MBS item 45523 applies where physical symptoms are documented and the required weight of tissue is removed from each side.
Correction of a developmental deformity, and implant removal, can also attract item numbers in defined circumstances — generally where a recognised deformity is present or where there is a complication such as capsular contracture or rupture. Procedures performed for appearance alone are not covered: augmentation for cosmetic reasons carries no rebate, and neither does a mastopexy without a qualifying clinical indication. Eligibility is assessed case by case and cannot be confirmed before examination, and a GP referral is required for any claim.
Choosing a Surgeon for Breast Surgery
Two different specialties carry similar-sounding names. A Specialist Plastic Surgeon holds FRACS with specialist registration in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and performs both aesthetic and reconstructive work. A breast surgeon — often an oncoplastic or general surgeon — treats breast cancer and benign breast disease. The training pathways are separate and the scope of practice differs.
The title “cosmetic surgeon” has a different status again. Since July 2023 the Medical Board of Australia has operated an endorsement pathway for registered medical practitioners who are not specialist plastic surgeons and who wish to perform cosmetic surgery. It is a mechanism for doctors outside the specialty rather than an additional qualification held by specialist plastic surgeons.
Any doctor offering breast surgery in Sydney can be checked on the AHPRA public register for registration, specialty and any conditions placed on it. Dr Turner’s registration number is MED0001654827. Further detail is set out in our guide to choosing a plastic surgeon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a breast lift and breast augmentation?
A lift changes position and shape without adding volume. Augmentation adds volume with an implant but does not raise the nipple. Which you need depends largely on where the nipple sits relative to the inframammary fold. Many women after pregnancy have lost both, and require the two combined.
Is breast surgery covered by Medicare?
Only where strict clinical criteria are met and documented. Reduction, correction of a developmental deformity and implant removal may attract an item number in defined circumstances. Surgery undertaken for appearance alone does not. Eligibility cannot be established without examination, and a GP referral is required for any claim.
How long should I wait after pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Generally at least six months after breastfeeding finishes, so the tissue has settled and volume has stabilised. Operating earlier risks planning around a shape that will still change. Weight should also be stable, and if you intend to have further children it is worth waiting, since a subsequent pregnancy can alter the result.
What is involved in the consultation process?
You will attend at least two consultations before surgery, the first with Dr Turner. The first covers assessment, examination and options; the second confirms the plan and the risks specific to you. A seven-day cooling-off period applies between giving informed consent and the date of surgery. A GP referral is needed. Patients travelling from interstate may complete the second consultation by telephone or video, then travel to Sydney for surgery.
