Cost of Removing Huge Tumour (Lipoma)?

Chris17 on 01/10/2024 - 12:30

My mother-in-law is in the UK and has spent the past five years sprouting a massive tumour on her arm. It’s benign but hideous, like a wobbly pockmarked grapefruit: NHS have offered to remove it free of charge but she’s scared to go under the knife.

MIL will be visiting us next year and my wife wants to get her operated on here as a non-citizen. Obviously I’m the one that will end up holding the invoice.

Any ideas how much that sort of thing might cost? Nobody is insane enough to go all the way to Australia for simple day surgery of this sort, so it’s hard to get even a notion how much poorer I risk becoming.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • stuffandthat on 01/10/2024 - 12:33
    +6

    My uneducated, unmedical guess would be around $20k

  • Gdsamp on 01/10/2024 - 12:35
    +60

    Not sure how she'll get her to do so here but alas

    if the issue here is your wife providing support, surely it would be cheaper/easier for her to fly to the UK and spend some time there for the $0 operation under NHS
    no need to fly after such a procedure either etc

    • JDMcarfan on 01/10/2024 - 12:41
      +12

      exactly. take a month off work for care of a parent.
      spend some quality time with mum and nurse her to health (if she even needs it)
      spend less than 20k and live stress free

      • Chris17 on 01/10/2024 - 13:13
        +16

        Two of my wife’s siblings live within 5km of their mother.

        I think the tumour can stay.

        • singlemalt72 on 01/10/2024 - 13:29
          +2

          I know this response when it comes to MIL and health concerns.

    • juki on 02/10/2024 - 19:55
      +2

      and you get the house to yourself !!!

    • MrFrugalSpend on 03/10/2024 - 19:09

      Well said. Was going to write the same thing.

  • Cluster on 01/10/2024 - 12:40
    +61

    Question: MIL doesn't want the operation in the UK as she's scared of it, but she will want to have the operation here? That doesn't make sense. I'm pretty sure the doctors over here will do the same procedure as the doctors over there.

    NHS offers to do it for free. I'd say take the offer instead of spending $$$$ here. It will be much cheaper for the wife to fly to the UK to keep mum company for a month while she recovers. If time is of the essence and NHS will lead to delays then obviously pay to have everything done quickly, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

    • GordonD on 01/10/2024 - 16:11
      +11

      I'm pretty sure the doctors over here will do the same procedure as the doctors over there.

      Yes, we steal our doctors from the same 3rd world countries as Britain's NHS does.

      • Amaris on 01/10/2024 - 19:40
        +15

        We steal a lot of doctors from the NHS

      • daanish on 02/10/2024 - 07:56
        +6

        As the child of a doctor who was stolen from the NHS this made me chuckle. I'm glad I live here rather than the UK.

      • juki on 02/10/2024 - 19:56

        Ireland is far from a 3rd world country, if anything Britain would be

        • frewer on 04/10/2024 - 14:08
          +1

          You would be visited by UK police ( in special car ) with a post like that

          • juki on 04/10/2024 - 23:32

            @frewer: i guess it makes the police chases easy to follow

      • Cluster on 04/10/2024 - 11:45
        +1

        UK/AU do indeed have reciprocal health care agreements, but this surgery sounds like it comes under elective surgery and not immediately required healthcare. I don't know if it's covered.

  • onetwothreefour on 01/10/2024 - 12:48
    +4

    Obviously I’m the one that will end up holding the invoice

    Why?

    • Fredfloresjr on 01/10/2024 - 12:49
      +19

      Part of the wedding agreement

      • onetwothreefour on 01/10/2024 - 13:16
        +14

        I better check my agreement for similar clauses!

        • khomeini on 04/10/2024 - 12:47
          +1

          Better not, there may be too many other clauses to your detriment. Best case = stay the course be it hell or high water. :(

        • cfuse on 02/10/2024 - 13:29
          +7

          And how much do you think the divorce will cost?

          Pragmatic choices beat stubborn choices 9 times out of 10.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 03/10/2024 - 19:10

          Well the thing is, they are related - that's how marriage works

        • GregRust on 04/10/2024 - 11:44

          You seem like a real catch.

      • kiitos on 02/10/2024 - 07:20
        +9

        "…To have, to hold, tumour to remove…"

    • keejoonc on 04/10/2024 - 16:24

      That was the first question that came to my head.

  • Seraphin7 on 01/10/2024 - 12:55
    +33

    I have no idea how you're planning to do this practically (let alone financially). How long is the MIL going to be here for? Have you considered the timeframe involved in …
    * Getting an appointment with a GP to create the referral to the relevant specialist
    * Getting an appointment with the specialist to determine the appropriate course of action
    * Assuming the answer is surgery of some description, getting that surgery scheduled
    * Having the surgery and allowing the requisite time for post-op recovery to occur
    * Allowing a contingency should any complications arise that may require further treatment/extended recovery

    The above could easily absorb eight weeks (possibly more), let alone the contingency aspect. Have you factored all of that in?

    • Cluster on 01/10/2024 - 12:59
      +8

      There are restrictions on how soon you can fly after surgery as well. That may be too much to fit within three months.

    • Chris17 on 01/10/2024 - 13:11
      +6

      Very good points. Thanks.

      • MrFrugalSpend on 03/10/2024 - 19:15

        As eluded to there, from experience, you do need to consider the possibility of complications such as post op infections, even if you have a budget and go ahead, $20K could at worst case turn into $200K with some months recovering in hospital from an infection that turns into sepsis or similar. After all, this is a choice, not an accident, so travel insurance won't cover it, unless reciprocal health care agreement does for that part, but it probably won't cover the voluntary elective non-urgent stuff.

    • Bruceflix on 01/10/2024 - 13:25
      +3

      You don't need a referral to a specialist if you are not claiming Medicare.

      • Rick Sanchez on 03/10/2024 - 00:32

        Still, booking a surgeon can take months for the first appointment. And then the surgery can be weeks later.

      • PandaExpress on 04/10/2024 - 05:22

        Are you sure? I've tried it a couple times and they wouldn't give me the time of day without a referral 🤷‍♂️

    • kanad on 02/10/2024 - 21:46
      +2

      A lot of it can be done with phone consultation from UK with the report from there. The GP referral is only for Medicare benefit, it is not a legal requirement. Maybe ask some specialists if they are willing to do this. Although UK/Aus have a Medicare reciprocal arrangement that may work here

      https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-…

      • MrFrugalSpend on 03/10/2024 - 19:12
        +2

        Why bother with any of that - the doctors here will probably see it as non urgent and not treat under reciprocal health care if she voluntarily came here with it and its not an emergency requirement to remove it, and she can easily fly home with it…. and frankly, I hope that is the case because my taxpayer dollars should not be paying for the OP's foreign resident MIL being too scared without her daughter's support to have a giant debilitating thing removed from her arm for her own good. This whole post is absurd and I think OP knows it but just needs to convince wifey. NHS will do the surgery, what magical potion does this daughter bring? Will paying a crap ton to have it done here be any different to there, where amongst other things she can be recovering in the comfort of her own home. What if there are complications, infections etc and the whole thing blows out. The only logical solution is if the daughter mysteriously has to be there for emotional support, is the daughter goes to UK to support. Much cheaper and more logical.

  • JimmyF on 01/10/2024 - 13:00
    +16

    Any ideas how much that sort of thing might cost?

    It'll be cheaper to send the wife back to the UK and for the MIL have it done there.

    You'll be looking at $10k at least if she has to be put under for it, maybe more if things don't go smoothly needing a longer stay in hospital. Basically nothing will be covered under medicare for her here as she is traveller.

    • alvian on 01/10/2024 - 13:24
      +7

      Reciprocal Health Care Agreement for UK Residents. If she doesn't want it done under NHS, not sure she'll agree to have it done under Medicare. And the consulting doctor will very likely refuse to reciprocally bill her benign case as a Medicare public patient.

      • lainey13 on 01/10/2024 - 22:18
        +3

        Scrolled a long way down before seeing this. Surprised how few people knew about reciprocal health care agreements we have with several European countries.

        Brits can use Medicare however if its not urgent there will be a waiting period that will be longer than you can tolerate your MIL. Then you would have to go private and now you're talking the big bucks.

      • May4th on 02/10/2024 - 08:50
        +2

        yeah not for elective surgeries for a benign lesion which depending on where you are can take 6-12 months and they likely will refuse on the grounds that the same procedure can be done at home.

        • iminabrons on 02/10/2024 - 10:53

          " they likely will refuse ……etc.
          But wouldn't that be a reason not to do any elective surgery, if the person like MIL, came from a country we have an agreement with? If that's so then why bother having an agreement?

          • May4th on 02/10/2024 - 10:55
            +6

            @iminabrons: it's so people have access to emergency care when you visit australia, not for people who want to pick and choose about where they want their elective surgery taking up the place of a local when you already have access to the same procedure at home

            • iminabrons on 02/10/2024 - 10:56

              @May4th: The topic was about "elective surgery".

              • May4th on 02/10/2024 - 10:57
                +1

                @iminabrons: yes. in reality hospitals won't differentiate between reciprocal vs local or long term residents vs doctor shopping pts - they go onto the wait list like any other in a public system. privately surgeons will be more than happy to take your money

                • iminabrons on 02/10/2024 - 11:08

                  @May4th: I suggest you do the same. Try to understand "context" .

      • od810 on 02/10/2024 - 12:10

        Unlikely she will be treated as public patient because of the waiting period. She will have to be treated as private patient.

      • joelmuzz on 04/10/2024 - 11:36

        That only applies for urgent treatments.
        If it can wait for a tourist visa to return home then Medicare wont do it.
        Medicare wait list is probably a year regardless.

        • infinite on 04/10/2024 - 16:48

          Current public hospital wait lists in Australia for a Lipoma of almost any type is around 3+ years.

          GP's are being advised to re-refer patients into the general surgery stream instead, to avoid their patients persistently being dropped down the list by people with non-invasive minor skin cancers.

  • Archi on 01/10/2024 - 13:19

    Obviously I’m the one that will end up holding the invoice.

    that's what you think.. in some round about way.. you always pay

    • Seraphin7 on 01/10/2024 - 13:58

      Sometimes you get to pay both financially and in other ways!

  • Bruceflix on 01/10/2024 - 13:27
    +6

    I have a system in place for my pets. If their vet bill exceeds a certain amount, unfortunately they will be euthanized.

    Perhaps you should consider that here?

    • mapax on 01/10/2024 - 13:28

      Your first paragraph is going to trigger the overly emotional…

      • Bruceflix on 01/10/2024 - 13:31
        +3

        Counterbalanced by the 2nd paragraph

        • mapax on 02/10/2024 - 08:58
          +1

          I guess you were correct. I was expecting to see a heap of negs by the easily offended crowd.

          • Rick Sanchez on 03/10/2024 - 00:33
            +1

            @mapax: Ozbargain, makes sense that people are more pragmatic / budget conscious here!

    • Sammy2000 on 01/10/2024 - 13:37

      But the lump is benign

      • freefall101 on 01/10/2024 - 13:41
        +12

        Need to remove the malignant MIL from the benign tumour. Since it's from the UK, the liberal party will campaign to give the lump citizenship no probs.

    • justworld on 01/10/2024 - 13:38
      +2

      What would euthanising your pets achieve for OP's mother in law?

    • kiitos on 02/10/2024 - 07:23

      What's the amount?

      • OZKap on 04/10/2024 - 00:04

        $25

    • brifog on 02/10/2024 - 13:13
      +1

      Id sell my car if it came to it to pay for vet bills for my cats.

      • Rick Sanchez on 03/10/2024 - 00:35

        What about your MIL?

        • khomeini on 04/10/2024 - 12:54
          +1

          He'd sell his cat!?

        • Alice McGregor on 04/10/2024 - 16:59
          +1

          Selling her wouldn't raise very much.

  • justworld on 01/10/2024 - 13:39
    +4

    You would not only be paying the surgeon's costs, but also the hospital fee, and the anaesthetist's fees. If there are any complications, get ready for a round 2. And because your MIL doesn't have private health insurance, it will all need to be paid in advance, upfront. And you will need to convince the surgeon, hospital and anaesthetist that you're good for the money before they book in the operation.

  • AustriaBargain on 01/10/2024 - 13:40

    I'd trust the NHS over my state's health system. I suppose she'd be paying cash to get it done privately though.

  • freefall101 on 01/10/2024 - 13:42
    +5

    Why doesn't your wife fly to the UK while it's done under the NHS? It'd be a lot cheaper.

    • playerzer2 on 01/10/2024 - 15:46
      +5

      AND you'd get some time alone.

      AND you wouldn't have to host your MIL

  • Drakesy on 01/10/2024 - 13:52
    +2

    My mother-in-law is in the UK and has spent the past five years sprouting a massive tumour on her arm. It’s benign but hideous, like a wobbly pockmarked grapefruit: NHS have offered to remove it free of charge but she’s scared to go under the knife.

    Just let her do it in the UK, it's literally a world leading public health system?

    You're literally going to be out of pocket for something that could be free in the UK.

    My best estimate, with zero private would be $5-10k depending on how big it is.

    Give her the ultimatum, she stumps up the cash or gets it done in the UK for free.

    • sumyungguy on 01/10/2024 - 14:08
      +1

      Sweden, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Germany & Australia would beg to differ, but she should absolutely get it done at home.

    • MrFrugalSpend on 03/10/2024 - 19:27

      I'd be a LOT more than $5K paying full freight

  • brad1-8tsi on 01/10/2024 - 15:11
    +1

    I'd think from step 1 (see a GP) to the end point (wound care) not much change out of $60k.

    I thought AU Drs not much different to UK Drs except they liked sunshine more

    • Drakesy on 03/10/2024 - 19:43

      We're no where near those rates thankfully
      America is not australia.

      Probably closer to $10-15k max if including everything

      • brad1-8tsi on 24/10/2024 - 17:10

        When I had the 5mmx20mmx45mm tumour removed from my salivery gland 10 years ago I was out of pocket $8k after Medicare and HCF full cover did their thing. OPs' relative will be paying full freight.

  • JIMB0 on 01/10/2024 - 17:43
    +5

    Uncle Ian will give it crack. He successfully operated on his pet goat armed with nothing but a rusty toolbox and a few too many beers.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 01/10/2024 - 20:13
    +4

    NHS have offered to remove it free of charge but she’s scared to go under the knife.

    my wife wants to get her operated on her

    This makes absolutely no sense.

    Do you think we have some sort of special procedure here that doesn't involve a knife and surgery or something?

    Honestly this sounds like an absolutely terrible idea. Just get her to do it under the NHS or if she doesn't want to then just leave it.

    I don't see why you should foot any bills for this.

    • ttt888 on 02/10/2024 - 18:08

      Everyone should stop commenting on this thread until OP clarify this because it make no sense at all.

      This is a time waster.

  • AndyC1 on 01/10/2024 - 20:25
    +1

    Get MIL to get it done under NHS and fly over and look after her for a month as a holiday as it will be allot cheaper than getting it done in OZ.

    It should not be a day surgery and she will need to be be here for a few months to see the surgeon before the op can be scheduled and then there is the op and overnight /few days stay depending on the drains etc that are required, then eis the followup and the no fly period after the op.

  • lachhelix on 01/10/2024 - 20:30
    +5

    We're already maxing out our healthcare system capacity…..she needs to just to get it done at home.

    She sounds insane

  • trapper on 01/10/2024 - 20:40
    +6

    NHS have offered to remove it free of charge but she’s scared to go under the knife.

    MIL will be visiting us next year and my wife wants to get her operated on here as a non-citizen.

    what the actual… this makes zero sense.

    Tell her to get it done for free by the NHS.

  • SydneySwan on 02/10/2024 - 08:06
    +3

    For continuity of care she should have the operation in the UK. If something goes wrong after she returns to the UK the local doctors will only be guessing about what the doctors in Australia did.

  • 82norm on 02/10/2024 - 08:26
    +1

    Make sure the grapefruit can handle the cabin pressure on the plane before going.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 02/10/2024 - 08:40
      +1

      That could be messy, although problem solved I guess 😅

  • May4th on 02/10/2024 - 08:34
    +3

    why would you not have it done in NHS? shambles of a healthcare system notwithstanding the training and quality of surgeons is similar to here.
    if you do it privately here it's going to cost an arm and a leg (pun intended) - the real risk is not the cost of hospital and surgery it self but if there is any post-operative complications and if you need a prolonged stay / ICU / HDU bed the cost can run up into hundreds of thousands.

    • Chris17 on 03/10/2024 - 13:49
      +1

      These are all very valid points. I think it’s time to douse mother and daughter with the gentle firehose of reality.

      As the breadwinner, I do get a say in this.

      • May4th on 04/10/2024 - 09:20

        never easy to stand up to the in laws, godspeed

  • Navanod66 on 02/10/2024 - 09:54
    +1

    Sorry to hear about your MIL. I've got many of these lumps since childhood and some are only just starting to become visible, especially the one on my left wrist right next to where the watch goes.
    I've been putting off surgery out of laziness but it shouldn't be too painful.
    My mom had a massive one just above her eye that was removed without much drama.
    IMHO, you may want to offer flying over to the UK to lend your support and get the surgery sorted there. You'll know the cost of the flight, plus you get a small holiday out of it. Probably earn you a gold star from the wife too

    • Chris17 on 03/10/2024 - 13:53
      +1

      This thing is a monster - she can’t even don most shirts. The doctor over there was calling in his buddies to check it out. They offered to take care of it in a matter of weeks, all on NHS, but she balked at the idea of surgery.

      • Drakesy on 03/10/2024 - 19:45
        +1

        Ngl

        She sounds like a PITA

  • smartazz104 on 02/10/2024 - 09:58

    NHS have offered to remove it free of charge but shes scared to go under the knife

    So they are using a different tool here, what's the difference if she has it here or there? Or she needs someone to hold her hand?

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