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What TPLO and cruciate surgery costs in Adelaide

EMReviewed by Eben Martin, Veterinary Surgeon · Updated August 2026

Most Adelaide owners pay $4,000 to $6,000, with specialist quotes at $7,000 or more. Regional SA and western Victorian practices sometimes quote meaningfully less, and Melbourne's fixed price clinics are within driving distance for a planned procedure.

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The price tiers that apply in Adelaide

OptionTypical Australian rangeNotes
Fixed price and high volume clinics$2,950 to $4,400Melbourne and Brisbane are the strongholds of this tier
General practice that does TPLO$3,200 to $5,000Inclusions vary; ask about after hours cover and rechecks
Specialist referral hospital$5,500 to $9,000Specialist surgeon, dedicated anaesthesia, ICU

Nationally, cruciate surgery runs from $2,950 at Melbourne's fixed price clinics to $9,000 at capital city referral hospitals.

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Send what your vet said and quoted. A veterinary surgeon reads it and comes back to you with what they can do and what it would cost, before you pay anything. A written second opinion is from $250.

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  • Cruciate surgery is quoted from $2,950 to $9,000 per knee in Australia. A surgeon's read on your quote is the cheapest line in this decision.
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By sending this you agree to be contacted about your enquiry. Privacy policy. A written second opinion is from $250, confirmed before you pay.

The Adelaide market

Adelaide is a smaller market with a solid middle: experienced general practices doing orthopaedics, a specialist tier, and less of the fixed price competition that drags Melbourne's prices down. Quotes cluster in the middle of the national range.

Worth travelling?

Adelaide owners with a straightforward case and a big quote sometimes save real money in Melbourne's fixed price clinics; it is an eight hour drive and people genuinely do it for a $2,000 to $3,000 difference.

Still deciding? It costs nothing to ask.

Send the case, hear back from a surgeon with what they can do and what it costs, and only pay if you go ahead.

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Common questions

Why do quotes in Adelaide differ by thousands for the same knee?

The operation is broadly the same; the wrapper differs: who operates, what happens at 2am, and what is bundled. Ask each clinic the same four questions, who does the surgery, how often, what is excluded, and what a complication costs, then compare answers rather than totals.

Is it worth travelling from Adelaide for a cheaper TPLO?

Sometimes. The saving has to survive the travel costs, the follow up x-rays around week eight, and the question of who handles a complication once you are home. Ask the cheaper clinic who does their aftercare for out of town patients; good ones have a ready answer.

Other cities

Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Perth · Canberra · Gold Coast · Hobart · Australia wide guide