Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Anthony McDonald is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical procedure · Geelong, VIC
Breast implant removal in Geelong.
Breast implant removal (also called explant) is surgery to remove existing breast implants. It may be performed for medical reasons (capsular contracture, implant rupture, BIA-ALCL, suspected Breast Implant Illness), preference for implant-free breasts, or to convert to fat-transfer augmentation. Performed under general anaesthetic in an accredited hospital and regulated under the AHPRA July 2023 cosmetic-advertising guidelines.
By the numbers — Geelong
Breast implant removal in Geelong — at a glance
Numbers reflect this directory's coverage of Geelong, VIC at build time. AHPRA-compliant illustration only — no patient depiction.
Clinics offering breast implant removal (explant)
11 clinics in Geelong
Premium and verified clinics appear first, then everything else. Each card links to the clinic's full profile.
Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Dr Peter Callan is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Bulleen, Bulleen VIC 3105
Dr Nam Anavekar is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Bulleen. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Dr Richard Rahdon is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Gosford, Gosford NSW 2250
Dr Chaithan Reddy is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Gosford. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Dermatology
Belmont, Belmont VIC 3216
Novus Dermatology and Skin Health is a dermatology cosmetic practice located in Belmont. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Dermatology
Geelong West, Geelong West VIC 3218
Baycity Dermatology is a dermatology cosmetic practice located in Geelong West. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Body Recon Plastic Surgery is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Rhinoplasty is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Mount Waverley, Mount Waverley VIC 3149
Dr Sally Ng Plastic Reconstructive Surgery is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Mount Waverley. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Surgical practice
Geelong, Geelong VIC 3220
Aesthetic Breast Surgery Centre - Dr.Niamh Corduff is a surgical cosmetic practice located in Geelong. Details sourced from public listings and pending independent verification.
Procedure guide
What is breast implant removal (explant)?
Explant surgery removes existing breast implants. The reasons range from confirmed medical complications (rupture, severe capsular contracture, BIA-ALCL) through to elective preference (no longer wanting implants, suspected BII, conversion to fat transfer). The choice of capsulectomy approach (no capsulectomy, partial, total, or en-bloc) depends on the indication and patient preference.
How breast implant removal (explant) works
Performed under general anaesthetic over 2–4 hours. Incisions are typically through the existing scars. The implant is removed; the capsule is removed in part or entirely depending on the indication. If mastopexy is added, that follows immediately. Drains are often used. Compression garment for 4–6 weeks.
Who is breast implant removal (explant) for?
Patients with implant complications, those who no longer want implants, or those with suspected BII. Smokers must abstain at least six weeks before surgery. The seven-day AHPRA cooling-off period is mandatory.
Geelong context
Breast implant removal in Geelong: market context
Geelong is the second-largest cosmetic and plastic surgery market in Victoria, anchored around Geelong Private Hospital and the Newtown medical precinct. Several Melbourne-based FRACS plastic surgeons run regular consultation rooms in Geelong, alongside a stable group of locally based cosmetic and non-surgical practitioners. The market serves the Geelong region (population approximately 280,000), the Surf Coast, the Bellarine Peninsula, and parts of the Western District of Victoria. Patients from Geelong who would otherwise travel to Melbourne can usually find comparable surgical quality locally, with shorter consultation waits.
Where surgery is performed in Geelong
The primary surgical venue for cosmetic and plastic surgery in Geelong is Geelong Private Hospital (Newtown), with St John of God Geelong as the secondary option. Several plastic surgery practices also use ACHS-accredited day-surgery suites in the CBD and Newtown. University Hospital Geelong (public) provides tertiary backup and is a major regional referral centre.
Travel and access
Geelong attracts patients from the Geelong region, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Western District, and Tasmania (which often has limited access to high-volume surgical practices locally). Melbourne patients occasionally travel to Geelong for specific surgeons or shorter wait times. The drive from Melbourne is 75 minutes via the Princes Highway. Pricing is typically slightly lower than Melbourne for surgical work.
Practical notes for recovery in Geelong
Geelong is reached from Melbourne by car (75 minutes via the Princes Freeway/M1), or by V/Line train (about 60 minutes). Avalon Airport (between Melbourne and Geelong) provides limited interstate flights; most interstate patients arrive via Tullamarine. The CBD, Newtown, and Geelong West are walkable or easily linked by local bus services. On-site parking is the norm. The temperate coastal climate is generally favourable for surgical recovery; winter (June–August) can be cold and damp, which some patients find slows mobility post-operatively.
Cost factors
What drives the cost of breast implant removal (explant)
Explant alone: $8,000–$14,000. With mastopexy: $14,000–$18,000+. With fat transfer to breasts: add $4,000–$8,000. Medicare-pathway explant for medical reasons reduces out-of-pocket cost.
What breast implant removal (explant) costs in Geelong
Itemised view of where the $8,000 – $18,000 typically goes. Quoted prices vary by surgeon experience, hospital, and case complexity — these shares are indicative.
| Component | Typical share | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeon fee | 50% | $4,000 – $9,000 |
| Anaesthetist fee | 12% | $950 – $2,150 |
| Hospital or day-surgery fee | 25% | $2,000 – $4,500 |
| Garments and supplies | 3% | $250 – $550 |
| Follow-up and reviews | 5% | $400 – $900 |
| Pathology, imaging, and other | 5% | $400 – $900 |
| Total | 100% | $8,000 – $18,000 |
Source: editorial estimates based on Australian Medical Association advisory notes and publicly disclosed clinic schedules. Actual quotes will vary; ask your surgeon for an itemised written quote before paying any deposit.
Breast implant removal (explant) recovery timeline (Geelong)
A typical recovery curve. Individual recovery varies — confirm specific milestones with your surgeon's post-operative plan.
-
Day 0
Procedure day.
No work No exercise -
Day 5
Early recovery.
No work No exercise -
Day 11
Halfway point.
Desk work OK Light only -
Day 21
End of standard recovery window.
Work OK Light only -
Day 42
Final result and return to all activities.
Work OK Normal
Recovery + practitioner
Recovery and downtime
Hospital stay typically 1 night. Compression garment 4–6 weeks. Most patients return to desk work at 2 weeks. Strenuous activity restricted 6 weeks. Final shape settles over 3–6 months.
Choosing a surgeon in Geelong
Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) with AHPRA registration and significant explant experience. For BII or BIA-ALCL cases, look specifically for surgeons with en-bloc capsulectomy experience. Ask about combined mastopexy / fat-transfer experience.
Before you book
- Discuss the indication for explant explicitly with your GP
- Investigate Medicare eligibility if medical indication exists
- Confirm AHPRA specialist registration
- Discuss capsulectomy approach (en-bloc, total, partial, or none)
- Discuss whether mastopexy or fat transfer should be combined
- Have realistic expectations about post-explant shape
Red flags
- Surgeons unwilling to offer en-bloc capsulectomy for BII or BIA-ALCL cases
- Marketing of fixed prices without consideration of capsulectomy approach
- No discussion of expected post-explant breast shape
- Practitioners using 'cosmetic surgeon' without FRACS registration
- Surgery offered in unaccredited rooms
Risk profile for breast implant removal (explant)
How the most-discussed risks for breast implant removal (explant) sit on a frequency-by-severity grid. All cosmetic procedures carry risk; the goal of this view is to help you ask better consent questions, not to dismiss any single complication as unlikely.
| Frequency \\ Severity | Mild | Moderate | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | — | — | — |
| Uncommon | — |
| — |
| Rare | — | — |
|
Frequency and severity classifications are editorial summaries based on Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons consent literature and TGA / AHPRA guidance. Your surgeon should explain each risk individually as part of the formal informed-consent process — this matrix is a starting point for the conversation, not a substitute.
How to verify any cosmetic surgeon on AHPRA
AHPRA registration is the baseline credential check for any cosmetic procedure in Australia. The five steps below take roughly two minutes and are the single most important due-diligence step before paying a deposit.
- 1
Open the AHPRA register
AHPRA publishes a free public register of every registered medical practitioner in Australia. Open the official register — never rely on a third-party "verification" site.
- 2
Search by name and "Medical Practitioner"
Search by the practitioner's full name and select Profession: Medical Practitioner. The register returns active registrations only — if the name does not appear, do not proceed.
- 3
Confirm the specialty (or its absence)
Look at the "Specialty" field. A FRACS specialist plastic surgeon will list "Specialist Surgery — Plastic Surgery". Anyone who calls themselves a "cosmetic surgeon" without a recognised specialty is a general medical practitioner under AHPRA — that is a meaningful difference for surgical work.
- 4
Check for conditions, undertakings, or restrictions
The register flags any conditions on a practitioner's registration, including AHPRA undertakings or restrictions. Treat any flag as a reason to ask the practitioner directly what it relates to before booking.
- 5
Verify hospital privileges separately
Hospital privileges are issued by the hospital, not AHPRA. For surgical procedures, ask which accredited hospital or licensed day-procedure centre the operation will take place in, and verify the surgeon has admitting rights there.
FAQ
Common questions about breast implant removal (explant) in Geelong
What is en-bloc capsulectomy?
En-bloc capsulectomy removes the implant together with the surrounding fibrous capsule as a single intact specimen. It is the recommended approach for confirmed BIA-ALCL and is preferred by patients seeking explant for suspected Breast Implant Illness, since theoretically all capsular tissue is removed. It is technically more demanding than removing the implant and capsule separately and may require longer scars and more drainage. Total capsulectomy (removing all capsular tissue, but not as a single block) is a slightly less demanding alternative.
What about Breast Implant Illness?
BII is a constellation of systemic symptoms (fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, autoimmune-like features) reported by some implant patients. It is not yet a formally recognised diagnosis in Australian medicine, but evidence is growing that a subset of patients see improvement after explant. Most experienced explant surgeons offer en-bloc or total capsulectomy for BII patients.
What about BIA-ALCL?
Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma is a rare T-cell lymphoma associated almost exclusively with textured-surface implants. Confirmed cases require oncological management including en-bloc capsulectomy, possible adjuvant treatment, and ongoing surveillance. Most Australian surgeons moved away from textured implants from 2019 onward.
Will my breasts go back to normal?
Usually not completely. Breasts that have housed implants for years are often more deflated and lower than pre-augmentation, due to skin stretching and atrophy of natural breast tissue under the implant. Many patients combine explant with mastopexy (lift) and sometimes fat transfer to reshape the post-explant breast. Discuss this expectation explicitly.
Is explant surgery Medicare-rebatable?
Explant surgery may attract Medicare item numbers when performed for medical reasons (rupture, capsular contracture, BIA-ALCL). Cosmetic-only explant or explant for suspected BII may not. Discuss with your GP and surgeon.
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