Everything you need to know about health insurance and cosmetic surgery
It’s easy for people to assume that cosmetic surgery just involves nose jobs and breast enhancements, but what most people don’t know is that it’s not unusual for cosmetic surgery to be deemed completely medically necessary by medical professionals. And luckily for the people in this boat, private health insurance can help fund your surgery. Here’s how to go about it:
Learn the terminology
The difference between a medically necessary procedure and an elective procedure comes down to professional opinion. The purpose of reconstructive plastic surgery is typically to correct abnormalities, which can come in a multitude of forms and be caused by a range of things. For example, an abnormality could be either congenital or acquired. However, as a general rule, if a doctor or specialist formally recommends surgery as an option for treatment, there is a very high chance that your insurance provider will recognise this and provide a rebate for it.
Know your cover
If you do have private health insurance, what you really need to know is what kind of procedures you’re covered for. There are a few procedures that a comprehensive hospital policy should typically cover. In terms of recovery and recuperation, not a lot of treatments are covered, but it can include (not limited to):
- Surgeries to fix congenital abnormalities (conditions that you have been born with or that have existed before birth).
- Reconstructive surgery as treatment for extreme burns.
- Surgery to fix a traumatic injury.
- Cancer or tumour removal, or surgeries that follow the removal of a cancer or tumour (for example, a reconstruction after a mastectomy).
- Procedures to repair bad scars or skin lacerations.
Know your options
There are three main private health insurance options for plastic and reconstructive surgery. You can:
- Take out a comprehensive policy that covers you for reconstructive plastic surgery.
- Choose a policy that offers restrictive cover for reconstructive plastic surgery in order to lower your premiums.
- Choose a policy that excludes cover for reconstructive plastic surgery altogether.
Make the most of what you’re paying for
Excluding or restricting plastic surgery from your policy is something that a lot of people do, but although it may cut costs in the short-term, you’ll never know whether you’ll need it later on down the track. It’s also important to review your health insurance policy regularly– every year if you can. It doesn’t take long, just go over your current cover and work out whether you think you need to add or remove any elements. For example, if you’re a senior paying for cover for pregnancy-related services, your money could definitely be put towards something more useful.
If you’re looking into taking out a higher level of cover, compare health insurance policies for cosmetic surgery online to make sure you’re getting the best value for money. What you choose is completely up to you. If you need more information later down the track, have a look at the Ombudsman’s website.
Bessie Hassan is finder.com.au’s resident Insurance Expert.
- Published in Cosmetic Surgery, General
Patient Newsletter – Feburary 2017
PATIENT INFORMATION HANDOUT REVIEWS
Our Post-Operative Medication Information Handout was recently updated with input from staff and patients to provide clearer information on the medications that may be required after surgery.
Seven patients, who had recently had procedures were asked to review this handout and all reported that it was easy to understand with no suggestions for improvement required.
If you have any suggestions for improving any information we give you please let us know at info@australiacosmeticclinics.com.au
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
A new Cleaning Company was engaged earlier this month to ensure the highest standards of cleaning are maintained. This company has extensive experience in the hospital industry with all staff being fully trained. They operate with detailed cleaning schedules and supervisors conduct regular compliance audits to ensure the highest standard is being maintained.
All staff complete annual hand hygiene education and an observation audit is currently being completed to monitor the compliance of our doctors and nurses.
PATIENT SATISFACTION
“Good service, quick surgery, Doctor Shaz was great, honest and realistic to me.” M.N.
“My whole experience was effortless. Dr Shaz & staff was just so supportive and amazing“” JD
NSW HEALTH
We have developed plans for the renovation of our theatre and sterilization rooms to enable us to achieve a NSW Health License. We expect that the renovation will be completed next month.
This will enable us to provide a much greater range of procedures onsite under a range of anesthetic types (including general).
ACCREDITATION AUDIT
In order to maintain a centre of excellence we are seeking accreditation against the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and the ISO9001 Standard.
Our accreditation audit is on Monday 20th February. On this day two external auditors will be onsite to conduct a thorough review of all clinical and non-clinical processes against these standards.
- Published in General
What Happens After Fat Cells Are Removed During Lipo?
If you’re considering having liposuction, you’ll want to know exactly what the procedure involves and what will happen to your body afterwards.
One of the main concerns people have about liposuction is: what happens to the fat cells that are removed from the body?
There is a common misconception about liposuction that comes from a lack of information about the process. Some people believe that liposuction will cause them to gain weight in other areas, or simply re-gain the weight they initially lost from lipo once the fat cells “grow back.”
Let’s look at this myth about liposuction, to provide you with a clear idea of what the process involves and just what does happen to the fat cells that have been removed.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a very popular and effective way to treat “problem” areas – those stubborn areas of the body that aren’t responding to improved exercise or diet.
It’s a relatively simple surgical procedure that can provide patients with flatter stomachs, slimmer hips and thighs, and get rid of double chins, love handles and sagging upper arms.
What Can I Expect from My Liposuction Procedure?
Traditional Liposuction
Traditional liposuction removes fat from the body with suction.
In very basic terms, your cosmetic surgeon will make a small incision in the body area that is being treated, and insert a tube into the hole. Excess fat will then be removed from the “problem” area through suction.
Laser Liposuction
Laser liposuction follows the same incision procedure, however it uses lasers to melt the fat cells before removing them.
Laser lipo has the benefit of using a narrower tube, which requires a much smaller incision. The use of a laser also causes blood vessels to immediately coagulate on contact, so there’s a lot less bleeding, bruising, swelling and recovery time.
Another advantage of using lasers for liposuction is that your surgery will only need to be performed under local anesthetic, rather than general, reducing the risk of complications and the level of invasiveness.
Will the Fat Cells that Have Been Removed Return?
This can be answered very simply – no.
The area which has been treated with liposuction will not gain weight again, because the fat cells have been removed.
Australia’s Leading Plastic Surgery Practice
To find out more about what you can expect from your liposuction procedure, it’s best to talk to a professional, qualified cosmetic surgeon. They can answer any questions you have about the process and how it works on the fat cells in your body.
Contact the team at Australia Cosmetic Clinics, Australia’s leading plastic surgery practice with clinics in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
ACC specialize in breast augmentation (breast implants), tummy tuck and mommy makeover surgery, buttock augmentation, rhinoplasty (nose job), breast lifts, breast reduction, liposuction, face lifts, eyelid surgery and more.
Providing a holistic approach to cosmetic surgery, the friendly team of cosmetic surgeons and expert registered nurses are committed to quality and safety in every aspect of the customized treatment program we provide to our patients.
Call ACC on 1300 559 848 or contact the team online to book your surgical consultation session.
- Published in Body Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Liposuction
Affirm Your Body Image
Body image can be a very important and powerful thing.
A positive body image is an essential aspect of overall wellbeing, with the potential to have a profound impact on an individual’s sense of self-esteem and daily life.
Cosmetic surgery can bring positive impacts and life-long changes for those with less than positive self-perception about their body image – often just the smallest change can be the beginning of a new and empowered life journey.
Today, let’s look closer at how cosmetic surgery can bring positive change to your life and help you affirm a more positive body image.
Improve Your Self-Confidence
Our confidence can be directly affected by physical appearance. Often if someone is unhappy with an aspect of their appearance, it can show itself in a lack of self-esteem – they may be shy, withdrawn and sadly, even doubt their own self-worth.
People can also start to worry more about their appearance as they grow older, with the arrival of new lines and wrinkles. Or after gaining weight, from pregnancy or certain medications.
Helping People Achieve their Vision
Professional cosmetic and plastic surgeons help men and women all over the world achieve their own individual vision of beauty, enhancing their natural features and achieving fully proportionate and natural looking results for the face and body.
Find Physical and Emotional Healing
Cosmetic surgery can also help people who have sustained injuries after an accident or trauma, allowing them the opportunity to heal physically and emotionally.
Whatever your reasons for considering cosmetic surgery, there are many modern procedures and non-surgical treatments that can help you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Australia’s Leading Plastic Surgery Practice
Wondering if cosmetic surgery is the right option for you? Talk to the friendly and professional team at Australia Cosmetic Clinics.
With a holistic approach to cosmetic surgery, ACC focuses on improving the external body while ensuring that our patients are in good mental health and have realistic expectations about the procedure. The friendly team of cosmetic surgeons and expert registered nurses are committed to quality and safety in every aspect of the customised treatment program we provide to our patients.
Whether you are visiting us for a non-surgical treatment or plastic surgery, we’ll help you make an educated decision on the treatment program that is right for you. From a nose job to breast augmentation and tummy tucks, we conduct all of our procedures in a safe, professional environment with the finest medical services.
With clinics in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, ACC specialise in breast augmentation (breast implants), tummy tuck and mommy makeover surgery, buttock augmentation, rhinoplasty (nose job), breast lifts, breast reduction, liposuction, face lifts, eyelid surgery and more.
Call 1300 559 848 or contact the team online to book your surgical consultation session.
- Published in Cosmetic Surgery
Breast Augmentation: How Big is too Big?
Breast augmentation is the world’s most popular cosmetic procedure, and needless to say, most surgeons have gotten extremely good at them. These days a whopping 98% of breast implant patients report that the results met or exceeded their expectations. Despite this, one of the biggest sticking points has always been the question of breast size. How big is too big?
This is an important question because about 1 in 10 women who undergo breast augmentation end up wishing that they went bigger, while about 1 in 50 feel like they went too big. Size is the hardest thing to get exactly right, and it’s always better to be more cautious and go for too small instead of too big. It’s easier to do further augmentation than reduction, and too-small breasts don’t have the risk of back pain or other health issues the way too-big breasts do.
So how big is too big? In short, in all depends. Your height, build, shoulder width, natural breast size, lifestyle, skin elasticity, normal posture, desired results and much, much more all have to be taken into account. There are no one-size-fits-all implants out there, so the only way to get a really good idea of your ideal breast implant size is to speak with an experienced cosmetic surgeon who can give you personalised advice. But even then, it still pays to be careful.
How Not to Get Breast Implants
Consider the case of one of our patients, a 32 year old woman named Carol. Like many others, she came to see us because her implants were just too big. They were inconvenient, uncomfortable, painful at times and seemed to get in the way of everything. She had wanted bigger breasts, but the mammoth implants she’d been fitted with felt like, in her words, a cautionary “be careful what you wish for” story. During Carol’s consultation session, it became apparent that her circumstances were far from unique.
Choosing the Wrong Location
Firstly, she’d gone for a budget overseas cosmetic surgery holiday in Thailand, figuring she had a good idea of what she wanted and could count on the surgeon’s expertise for guidance. Instead, he simply advised her that bigger was better, and pushed her towards the larger (and slightly more expensive) options.
Getting the Wrong Information
From there, her only decision-making assistance was a set of ‘sizing bras’. These are padded bras which are meant to simulate breast implants, but just can’t accurately capture the shape, size and feel of actual implants. These sizing bras are great for getting a quick idea of how your new silhouette will look, or how larger breasts might affect clothing options, but at the end of the day it’s just a padded bra, not a miracle device. As it turned out, Carol’s breast augmentation results were nothing like the sizing bra led her to believe and she was understandably wary of this when seeing us. Fortunately, we prefer to use the Vectra 3D imaging system instead, for these exact reasons. After her experience with sizing bras, Carol was relieved to hear that there was a better way.
Picking the Wrong Surgeon
However, the biggest difference according to Carol, was how informative we were. “The surgeon in Thailand was a shopkeeper, not a doctor.” She said. “He was selling breasts and I was just another customer. I should have walked away the moment I realised, but thought I’d come too far to quit.” By contrast, our main focus has always been making sure every single patient is very well informed and knows absolutely everything they need. Usually, the best way to do this is with individual surgical consultation sessions. This is what lets us give properly tailored advice, rather than general information. Because everyone’s bodies are so different, this is a really crucial part of being a cosmetic surgeon. And naturally, it’s also the key to answering the age old question of ideal bust size.
Making the Right Breast Enhancement Choices
So how big is too big for breast implants? It all depends. The only real way to get an actual, concrete answer is in a surgical consultation session with a doctor you can trust. If you’re having trouble finding one, just remember that good surgeons will always err on the side of too-small. If they’re insistent that you should go bigger, or don’t try to talk you out of it when you ask for a giant beach ball sized chest, then they probably don’t have your best interests at heart.
As for Carol, it’s now been about 3 months since her breast reduction operation, almost 10 months since her initial breast augmentation, and everything went perfectly. A big congratulations to Carol on her engagement from everyone here at ACC, and a big thank you for letting us tell your story.
Wondering what breast augmentation size is right for you? Call ACC at 1300 559 848 or reach us online to get a surgical consultation session.
- Published in Breast Surgery
NON-SURGICAL FACELIFT: FRAXEL LASER RESURFACING
NON-SURGICAL FACELIFT: FRAXEL LASER RESURFACING
Many people believe that it is only fine lines and wrinkles that cause a person to appear older. However research has disproved this, showing that blotchy, uneven and dull skin can add up to twenty years to your appearance, even if you do not have lines, wrinkles or sagging skin. Therefore, those looking to refresh and rejuvenate their appearance and should consider improving the colour and texture of their skin rather than just focusing on lines. Age spots, acne scars, scars, pigmentation and melasma can all seriously affect the appearance of the skin, adding years to your appearance. As a result of this research, new technology has been developed in order to address this issue and allow women and men to drastically improve their complexion and look younger, heathier and more attractive. Pearl Fractional Laser resurfacing, using a Fraxel laser, is an extremely effective method of facial rejuvenation used by Verve to help our customers achieve glowing, pearly skin.
What is Pearl Fractional Laser Resurfacing?
Our Peal Fractional Laser Resurfacing treatment is a revolutionary facial rejuvenation technique which uses a Fraxel Laser with a unique wavelength to gently remove old damaged skin and reveal smoother, more even skin. The popularity of the treatment has exploded because it requires minimal downtime when compared with other facial rejuvenation techniques and fantastic results can be seen after just a single treatment.
How does the Fraxel Laser work?
Our Pearl Fractional Laser facial rejuvenation treatment works by emitting thousands of microscopic columns of light, removing fine portions of damaged skin. The healthy skin around each perforation heals quickly and spreads over the tiny holes, significantly improving your overall complexion. The Fraxel laser is ‘fractional’ because it intensively treats tiny areas of the skin without damaging surrounding healthy skin, reducing healing time and stimulating the skin’s natural healing process to create new healthy tissue. The Fraxel technology represents a drastic technological advance from previous facial rejuvenation laser technology which resulted in weeks of crusting, peeling and redness.
What can Pear Fractional Laser Resurfacing be used for?
The Pearl Fractional Laser facial rejuvenation method delivers a number of benefits to the skin including:
• Eliminating sun spots
• Eliminating age spots
• Tightening skin
• Improving uneven pigmentation
• Improving melisma (pregnancy mask)
• Improving acne scars
• Improving wrinkles
• Improving stretch marks
• Improving skin texture
• Shrinking pores
• Plumping the face
When are the results visible?
One of the reasons why the Fraxel laser has become so popular is because it allows fantastic results to be seen as soon as a week after a single treatment. The best part is that even though you will see significant improvement after just one week, maximal results will be visible in around one to three months, meaning you can look forward to watching your skin continue to improve for weeks after treatment.
- Published in Face Surgery
LABIAPLASTY
LABIAPLASTY
The labiaplasty procedure has experienced a recent surge in popularity, as it can help restore self-confidence, reduce physical irritation and improve sexual function in female patients. The procedure reduces the length and breadth of the labia minora, which are the inner lips of a woman’s vagina.
Some women are born with either enlarged or irregular shaped labia and this often becomes apparent during puberty. Alternatively, labia may become enlarged as a result of rapid weight loss or weight gain, ageing or childbirth. While everybody is different and variation in the size of anatomy is normal, enlarged labia, like a crooked nose or small breasts is something many people choose to alter in order to improve their confidence and enjoyment of life.
The result of enlarged inner labia is that the tissue can protrude outside the outer labia, causing embarrassment and discomfort. This can impede women’s ability to enjoy their life to the fullest, for a variety of reasons. Enlarged labia can protrude from swimwear or underwear, causing chafing and embarrassment and preventing them from wearing the clothes they would like to. Women with enlarged labia may also experience pain and discomfort when performing certain exercises. Enjoyment of sexual intercourse can also be seriously impacted. When the labia is large enough to hide the clitoris, this can seriously impact the ability to experience sexual pleasure during intercourse.
At Verve, we understand that the decision to have labiaplasty can be prompted by a number of concerns and we always exercise sensitivity and care in our consultation and surgical procedures. We have performed many labiaplasty surgeries and have seen the difference it can make to the lives of women who are effected by enlarged labia.
- Published in Vaginal Surgery