Matera injured his left ankle in Saturday night's loss against Geelong when Cat James Kelly fell across his lower leg, and will need a screw inserted into his ankle to repair the damage.
Matera was immediately assessed by the club’s medical staff on Saturday night and has been wearing a moonboot since the completion of the match.
"Brandon will undergo surgery as soon as he can, and following the surgery we will be in a better position to determine the length of time Brandon will be sidelined for," general manager of football operations Marcus Ashcroft said.
It continues a horror run of injuries for Gold Coast, which includes ruckman Zac Smith's season-ending knee injury, Jared Brennan (knee), Jesse Lonergan (hamstring) and Harley Bennell (hamstring).
In better news, key players Karmichael Hunt (hamstring) and Charlie Dixon (ankle) are a chance to return this weekend, even though it may be through the reserves.
Michael Whiting covers Gold Coast news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting