Frequently Asked
Questions.

A referral is not required, however we recommend you bring a referral from your Doctor to see Dr Lotz, as it does enable you to claim from Medicare for your consultation. If surgery is required and has item numbers then a referral will be required for any rebates to apply.

Upon arrival you will be asked to fill in a Patient Registration form and medical history. This is also available to download here if you wish to complete it before coming in.

In your consultation with Dr Lotz, he will discuss with you your concerns and what procedures may be suitable for you. As some patients can get nervous and forget to ask important questions, we recommend having a list of your important questions with you to help you maximise your consultation time.

You will be shown some photos of patients who have had similar procedures done.

An information pack will be given to you on the day and a surgery quotation will be emailed a day or two later.

There is parking underneath the building. The driveway is the first on your left in Belmont Road as you turn right off Military road.  There is an access keypad at the top of the driveway – Press 10 then the bell symbol to open the gate. Parking is scattered around on the 2^nd and 3^rd levels down marked “North Shore Cosmetic Surgery”. The lift is in the centre of the carpark with openings on alternate levels.

We prefer that you don’t bring children as we find that children can be very distracting at a time when the focus needs to be all about you. We want to give you our full and undivided attention, and to ensure that all your questions and concerns are addressed. There is also a lot of equipment that can be dangerous for young curious hands. If you do need to bring your child then please bring something to occupy them during your consultation.

A cosmetic consultation with Dr Lotz is $385.00, of which if you bring a referral from your doctor, there is a rebate of $81.30 from Medicare. A pre-payment of $110 is taken at the time of booking, and the balance is payable on the day.

We request 48 hours notice if you wish to cancel your appointment or a cancellation fee will apply.

The cost of a general consultation is $250.00, of which if you bring a referral from your doctor, there is a rebate of $81.30 from Medicare.

We generally run to time for our bookings, so please arrive 10 minutes early to have time to complete any necessary paperwork.

Yes. Unlike many other surgeons, Dr Lotz does not have surgical assistants, so you can rest reassured every part of your surgery will be performed by him.

This will depend on your procedure and the complexity of the surgery. Some smaller procedures are performed in our rooms. All larger procedures are done in accredited hospitals under a general anaesthetic performed by qualified anaesthetists, assistants and nurses. Some procedures are day stays and others require longer stays.

Dr Lotz operates predominantly at Castlecrag Private Hospital. He is also accredited at The Mater Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital, but generally only attends there when he is performing combined cases with other surgeons.

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Dr Lotz will often perform revisional surgery for patients not happy with results from other surgeons. As a general rule, it is always best to see your original surgeon as most will perform revisional surgery at no cost to you, whereas if you see another surgeon you will be charged. In some cases, after we review your condition, it may be that we are not able to offer a solution to your problem.

Once you have had your Initial Consultation with Dr Lotz, depending on the surgery you require, we can usually accommodate you within 4-6 weeks. 

For in hospital procedures, depending on the level of cover you have with your Health Fund, there is normally a rebate so that bed stay and theatre costs are usually covered. Depending on your level of cover there may be an excess payment required. 

There is normally a “gap payment” for the Surgeon and Anaesthetist, as Health Funds pay very little on top of the Medicare payment. When you receive the quotation from our rooms, any of these fees will be clearly stated there.

For procedures done in our rooms, there is no rebate from your Private Health Insurance, however there is a rebate from Medicare if item numbers are applicable. Once again, a quotation will be provided to you beforehand.

A Medicare item number is a number used to identify a service provided to you by your doctor. The number will have an attached description (to help the doctors tell them what to use it for) and an assigned payment. This payment will tell you how much of the doctors’ fee will be paid for by the government. It can also help tell you how much on top of this fee will be paid by your health insurer if you are in a health fund. The additional fee which may charged by the doctor is what is know as “the gap”, and reflects the true cost to you after reimbursements.

If there is an item number for a procedure, and you have an appropriate level of health insurance, then that will mean that your private hospital costs (bed stay and theatre fees) will be covered by your health fund. It is important to note that you may have an excess payment to pay your health fund if you opt to use it.

Some procedures will only have an item number if certain conditions are met. Eg an upper blepharoplasty to remove excess skin from the eyelids, will only have an item number it the skin is shown to be impairing your vision (ie there is a medical reason for surgery, not just cosmetic).

You will be given a detailed quotation after consulting with Dr Lotz which will outline any applicable item number and excess fees that may relate to your procedure so that there will be no unexpected surprises later on.

VIEW: AMA Guide for Patients – Medicare & Medical Fees (PDF) 

FRACS(Plast) means Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Plastic Surgery). The distinction is only awarded to specialist surgeons who have completed a minimum of 12 years medical and surgical education, with at least 5 years of specialist postgraduate training. A Specialist Plastic Surgeon with the letters “FRACS” appearing after his or her name is accredited to perform invasive reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery.

This is the only degree in Plastic Surgery recognised by the Australian Medical Council.

In Australia it is not illegal for a medical practitioner with a basic medical degree (e.g. GP) to perform surgery. These doctors are not AMC (Australian Medical Council) accredited surgeons as they are not trained for invasive surgical procedures. Doctors with minimal surgical training are also able to promote themselves as “Cosmetic Surgeons”.

In Australia, Specialist Plastic Surgeons have studied specialist surgery for a minimum of five years and have at least 12 years of total medical and surgical education. 

A ‘Cosmetic Surgeon’ can simply complete a medical degree, followed by 1 year as a medical ‘Intern’ and then 1 or 2 years as a ‘Resident’ Medical Officer in a Hospital. They can then start to perform surgery on patients. Many of these self-described ‘Cosmetic Surgeons’ are not surgically trained. 

It is highly recommended that you do your research on the medical practitioner and clinic you are considering cosmetic surgery.

You should only have your surgery performed by a doctor who is FRACS accredited.