Cosmetic surgery in South Africa is generally considerably cheaper than in the U.K. or U.S.A. This is, in part, due to the relatively weak local currency.

South African doctors enjoy a very good reputation in most parts of the world, and plastic surgeons are no exception. An entire industry of "cosmetic surgery tourism" came about due to this fact, where companies offer "package deals" to tourists involving cosmetic surgery combined with a holiday.

Aside from the details of the procedures, most patients want to know what the various operations cost. Some will "shop around" to try get the best or lowest total cost for any given procedure. It is important, however, to establish certain details from the prospective surgeon, as no doubt, he / she will need to establish certain details about you, the patient.

Patient Details Needed:

A very important concept to grasp is that most cosmetic procedures are tailored to the problem, and that most operations vary somewhat from person to person in both complexity and extent. For this reason, it is vitally important to see the patient (via emailed pictures) to establish whether or not they are a suitable candidate for the surgery, and what the extent of the surgery is likely to be. An example may be tummy tuck surgery, which may vary from liposuction alone, to a mini-tuck to a full tummy tuck. These procedures have very different indications, vary in extent and complexity, and as a result, the costs vary significantly. Liposuction is another example - this may vary from a half hour procedure, to a 3 hour procedure - longer surgery, more cost involved. Hence the need for some basic information about the patient, as well as some pictures which can be emailed.

What To Ask The Surgeon:

Many variables affect the total cost of any given procedure. These include whether or not an anaesthetist is used, the type of anaesthesia (whether local or general), the type of facility (day clinic vs. major hospital), the need for overnight stay etc.

1. Type Of Anaesthetic

Most surgeries in my practice are done under deep intravenous sedation combined with local anaesthesia. The exceptions to this are nose jobs and big breast reductions. This is somewhat cheaper than a general anaesthetic, but the major advantage is that patients feel much better after the surgery (less nausea etc) and tend to recover faster. Most facilities charge per minute of time in the operating room, so the longer the surgery, the more you pay!

2. Board Certified Anaesthetist

For all but the most minor surgeries, I use a board certified anaesthetist. Naturally, this costs extra, but in my opinion, is money well spent. You are carefully monitored throughout the surgery to ensure your safety, comfort and rapid recovery. Many colleagues do their own sedation, and therefore can offer more competitive overall rates. When getting a quote, establish if the surgeon does his / her own sedation.

3. Surgeon Qualifications

Make sure the surgeon is a board certified plastic surgeon, and is registered as such with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)as well as being a member of the Association of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons of South Africa - APRSSA.

4. Facility

I am based at a major private hospital in the centre of Cape Town – the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital. I do most of my reconstructive work at this hospital, including cleft lip and palate surgery, and breast reconstruction surgery. I also do some of my cosmetic surgery at the hospital, and the rest is done at a nearby, fully licensed, day surgery facility. There are additional costs for overnight stays (needed for a full tummy tuck), but aside form that, the costs are more or less identical between the day surgery unit, and the main hospital. Some patients prefer the out-of-hospital feel that the day surgery centre can offer, whilst others feel more secure in a major hospital with full medical back-up.

FEES FOR 2010

Consult fees: R500. This is booked for one hour. The fee is payable as a “once-off” fee with the first consultation – no subsequent consults are charged, either before or after surgery. Payment can be either: cash, debit or credit card, or bank transfer (done pre-consult).

INJECTABLE GELS (Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm Ultra) R3000 per 1cc vial.
Most useful for soft tissue augmentation of lips and naso-labial folds.

BOTOX – 3 possible treatment areas, each uses 20 units of botox.
Most useful for diminishing mimetic lines in the upper 1/3 of the face.

1 = Frown lines (vertical lines)
2 = Forehead lines (transverse lines)
3 = Crow’s feet (sides of eyes)

Costs for botox:
Any 1 area = R1300 (20 units)
Any 2 areas = R2500 (40 units)
All 3 areas = R3600 (60 units)

NOTE: Patients only wanting botox or gels are not charged an additional consult fee - only the consumable cost as listed above.

Kelocote = R450 (15g tube) Used for improved scarring post op.

Procedure costs vary - please click on the contact me page, and provide the info + pics as requested for assessment and procedure quotes. Procedures are quoted as a total, all inclusive cost, which would include all fees related to primary surgery done as a day case, and all normal aftercare, unless otherwise stipulated.

Examples of some (total) costs:
Please note that final quotes are only ever given after a full examination, since procedures will vary in extent from person to person.

Costs quoted below include: surgeons and anesthetist’s fees, any assistant’s fees, theatre and facility fees for a day case, and all normal aftercare. The exception to this is a full tummy tuck, which is always done at  the Christiaan Barnard Hospital, and includes the cost of a one night post op stay (till noon the next day)

Please note the following:
Payment can be made by bank transfer, Mastercard, VISA, debit cards, cash or local cheque.
Payment is usually taken in full, prior to the surgery. I do not offer payment plans at all, but please look at www.fhf.co.za for surgery financing. They now also offer Cosmetic Surgery Insurance.
Prices will be quoted in the local currency (rands / ZAR) - look at www.xe.net for conversions.

A WORD OR 2 ABOUT MEDICAL AIDS AND MEDICAL INSURANCE:
Medical aids do not cover any aspect of (purely) cosmetic plastic surgery. There are, however, some reconstructive procedures that may be covered by medical aids to varying extents. Examples include:

1. Some rhinoplasty procedures (functional surgery, sino-septal surgery, reconstructive)
2. Some breast reduction procedures (Discovery Health never covers these at all)

In these situations, and where reasonable grounds exist for some medical aid cover, a motivation letter, usually accompanied by pictures will be emailed to your medical aid by my office, on your behalf, to try to obtain authorization to proceed with the surgery.

It is, however, very important that you note the following:

1. Medical aid is your insurance, rather than mine. My contract is with you, the patient, and you, in turn, have a contract with your medical aid.

2. I do not operate at “medical aid rates”.

3. My charges are in line with other local members of ISAPS, and will be higher than most medical aids will contribute. In other words, a co-payment is almost always required.

4. My fee, and that of any assistant, is payable in full prior to any surgery.

5. A full statement / receipt will then be issued to you, allowing you to claim whatever portion of the fee your medical aid will reimburse you.

6. Even if a procedure is alleged to have 100% cover by your medical aid, this will only refer to the hospital costs, not my fee, nor that of my assistant, if used, nor my anaesthetist.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to email me