A minor operation is a procedure carried out in the treatment room at the Whangamatā Medical Centre using local anaesthetic. This is done to remove a skin lesion to help with diagnosis or as a treatment for certain types of skin lesions or for cosmetic reasons or a combination of the above.

We have tried to keep the cost of minor surgery as low as possible as we do not want this to be barrier, but the extra time involved for the doctor and the nurses and the materials used all add to the cost. The current charge for a minor surgical procedure is $350 for a 45 minute procedure or $450 for a 60 minute procedure (enrolled patients) and $800 (non-enrolled) including GST. This covers the procedure and two follow-up visits. Extra visits will be charged at approximately $35 (enrolled patients) and $65 (non-enrolled) a time. If cost is a problem please discuss this with your doctor. For those with health insurance, check and see if your insurance company is funding minor surgery in primary care now, as many have elected to. Alternative arrangements for minor surgery such as private specialist or public hospital specialist services are available and you might like to discuss these with your doctor.

NB: Minor Surgery procedures take place in our emergency room, so in the event of an emergency your procedure may be delayed or rebooked.