What happens at a private procedure at Skin Check WA

One of the common misconceptions is that a skin excision and wound healing begins with the scalpel and ends when sutures are removed. The truth is that skin only repairs itself slowly and regains strength at ~1% per day. Only at the end of 3 months, does a sutured site regain 90% of its original strength.

Our aim is to ensure every procedure we perform heals optimally until maximum strength is reached.
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In addition to the appointment with your doctor, there is a concurrent appointment with one of our procedural nurses. Occasionally you may receive SMS reminders for both appointments.
 
 
On the day 
We suggest arriving at least 5 minutes before your appointment time.

One of our trained nurses will accompany you to a procedural room. The nurse will check your personal details, verify any history of drug or tape allergies, and locate the region of the proposed surgery site. The area may need cleansing or shaving, and they will also discuss your preference for positioning, especially if there is pre-existing physical injury such as back pain or leg discomfort.

When the pre-operative preparations are completed, your doctor will come in, examine and verify the site against the previously taken photos, check (and discuss if necessary) the latest report,  confirm any current medical conditions and medications, and answer any questions you may have about the procedure.

When you are ready, the doctor will begin the first of many steps involved in the excision of the skin lesion, from administration of local anaethestic , excision of the skin cancer, cautery of blood vessels, closure of the skin with sutures, and finally to a suitable dressing being applied.

Since the procedure is performed under local anesthesia, you are able to converse with the doctor if you wish during the procedure. The doctor may take the opportunity to discuss issues on skin cancer prevention , and you are welcome to ask questions provided it does not interfere with the concentration of the doctor, or the site of surgery.

Once the medical procedure is completed by your treating doctor, and medical instructions provided, and dressings applied,  our nurses will provide a wound / scar optimisation pack to take home.
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During normal clinic hours, your treating doctor will provide routine aftercare if there is concern about the wound or healing.

​​​​​​​Afterhours, a separate senior team of nurses and doctors will provide continued wound care and wound healing advice.
 
 
After removal of sutures  
At 1-2 weeks you will return for removal of sutures and discussion of the result with your doctor.
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Once the sutures have been removed, the next phase of wound healing begins.
You can now start to use the medical silicon gel included in the pack mentioned above. We ask patients to continue this for 2-3 months.
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Our team will continue to be available to advise on wound and scar healing, such as taping and scar optimisation, until your wound has reached its optimal healed strength.

What is a Peri-Operative Service (POS) Fee?

When a private procedure occurs at Skin Check WA, it is similar to what happens at a private day surgery centre.

The Peri-Operative Service Fee is for the additional and extended services not covered by Medicare, provided by the clinic, the nurses and other doctors other than your treating doctor.

There are 2 levels of POS fee.

Standard applies to the most common excisions on the forearms, upper arms, chest, abdomen, shoulders and upper back.

Advanced applies to excisions on other areas of the body, or other types of complex closures such as wide local excisions, flaps or skin grafts.

Standard = $275*
Advanced = $350* 

* Current as of Nov 2022

Can I get a Medicare rebate for the extended service?
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The Medicare rebate for a procedure is calculated by the Federal Government around basic requirements in basic settings. It relates to the care by your treating doctor only.

We do not believe this minimum standard as covered by the rebate alone will lead to our desired results in terms of patient comfort, follow up care and long term cosmetic outcome.

The POS fee is for the additional and extended service provided by other providers, and for care and products as described above.

These additional services, care and products are unfortunately not covered by Medicare.
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Can I claim the POS fee from private health insurance?
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At present, health funds only allows claims for procedure related costs if the patient is admitted to a hospital as an "inpatient" and not when the patient have the same procedure as a walk-in "outpatient".

Inpatient status also means any excess for the hospital admission must be paid first to the health insurance.

We could shift our procedures to mini-day hospitals but any claim benefit would be offset by the need to pay an excess for the majority of our patients.

Therefore in most cases, health funds will not cover the POS fee. We hope this situation will change in the future.

Concession Card Holders

Commonwealth Senior Health Card and Age Pension Card holders are eligible for a $100 reduction in the above fees.
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