Melbourne general practices advertise all inclusive patella packages around $3,000, and the commonly quoted range across the city runs $3,500 to $6,000. As with cruciate surgery, Melbourne is the cheapest major market for this operation.
| Option | Typical Australian range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General practice package | $3,000 to $4,000 | Some clinics bundle bloods, overnight stay and rechecks |
| Specialist surgeon | $4,500 to $6,000 | One Sydney specialist centre publishes $5,050 fixed |
| Both knees or high grade | $6,000 and up | Staged operations are the norm |
Nationally, patella surgery commonly costs $3,000 to $6,000 per knee, with general practice packages at the bottom of the range and specialist surgeons at the top.
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.
Get both if you can. Grade 2 is judgement territory: an experienced GP who does patellas regularly is a legitimate choice, while grade 3 and 4 knees, revisions and combined cruciate cases belong with the specialist tier. The x-rays and the examination decide it, which is exactly what an independent opinion can referee.
Broadly yes, staged a few months apart, though some clinics discount the second knee. Worth asking directly, and worth an independent look at whether the second knee genuinely needs surgery at all before you commit to it.
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.