Melbourne is the national price floor. Fixed price TPLO clinics advertise from $2,950 to $3,500, suburban practices commonly sit between $3,200 and $4,000, and the referral tier runs to $7,000 and beyond. If your Melbourne quote is above $5,000, you are paying for the wrapper; make sure your case needs it.
| Option | Typical Australian range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed price and high volume clinics | $2,950 to $4,400 | Melbourne and Brisbane are the strongholds of this tier |
| General practice that does TPLO | $3,200 to $5,000 | Inclusions vary; ask about after hours cover and rechecks |
| Specialist referral hospital | $5,500 to $9,000 | Specialist 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.
Melbourne is the cheapest major market in Australia for orthopaedic surgery: several dedicated fixed price surgical clinics compete openly on published prices, alongside the full referral hospital tier. Owners travel from interstate to operate here, not the other way around.
If you are already in Melbourne, price shopping between the fixed price clinics and asking each what their quote includes usually beats travelling anywhere.
Have the surgeon read the case and the quote before you book. From $250.
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.
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.
Sydney · Brisbane · Perth · Adelaide · Canberra · Gold Coast · Hobart · Australia wide guide
An independent written opinion on the diagnosis, the technique and the price. From $250.