Consultation Fees

We aim to provide transparent and upfront information about consultation and surgical fees.

Consultation fees

Medicare

A Medicare rebate can be claimed for non-aesthetic consultations. In 2026, the Medicare rebate for an initial specialist consultation is $86. Subsequent consultations attract a smaller rebate. Rebates are processed at the time of payment where possible.

Aesthetic (purely cosmetic) consultations and procedures are not rebatable through Medicare.

Payment

Payment is required at the time of your appointment by EFTPOS or credit card. Pre-payment may be taken to secure your appointment.

Surgical fees

If surgery is recommended at your consultation, you will be provided with a detailed written quotation. This will include:

• Surgeon's fee — Dr Doherty's professional fee for performing the procedure.
• Anaesthetist's fee — quoted separately by the anaesthetist's practice.
• Surgical assistant's fee — where required.
• Hospital and theatre fees — covering the operating theatre, accommodation, nursing care and consumables.
• Pathology fees — for histopathological assessment of any tissue removed (billed separately by the pathology provider; see below).
• Any prosthesis or device costs.

For reconstructive procedures with valid Medicare item numbers, Medicare and private health insurance rebates will be clarified. For purely cosmetic procedures, no rebates apply.

You will be given fully informed financial consent before any surgery proceeds, so there are no unexpected costs.

Pathology fees

Whenever tissue is removed during a procedure — for example a skin lesion, cyst, or breast specimen — it is sent to an external pathology laboratory for histopathological assessment. This is an essential part of safe surgical care: it confirms the diagnosis, checks that any malignancy has been completely removed, and guides any further treatment.

Pathology fees are billed separately by the pathology provider, not by Dr Doherty's practice. A Medicare rebate is available for most histopathology items where eligibility criteria are met, and many specimens are bulk-billed; an out-of-pocket gap may apply for more complex specimens (for example melanoma sentinel lymph nodes or specialised stains).

Where pathology is anticipated, the likely arrangement will be discussed at your consultation so there are no surprises after surgery.

Cancellation

Please contact our team if you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment. We appreciate as much notice as possible so we can offer your slot to another patient.