The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons Incorporated (ASPS) is a not-for- profit membership organisation representing Plastic Surgery in Australia. Plastic Surgery incorporates both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

ASPS promotes, develops and advances the practice of Plastic Surgery throughout Australia.

ASPS aims to maintain the highest standard of surgical practice and ethics in Plastic Surgery in Australia in order to provide the highest quality plastic surgery care to all Australians.

The difference between Plastic Surgeons and other Medical Practitioners is specialist training in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Click here to read more...

APPLY for SELECTION to SET

Click on the link below to apply for selection in the training program Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Australia

Applications have closed.

Information for applicants is available from this link
http://www.plasticsurgery.org.au/patients-and-consumers/becoming-a-surgeon/selection/

Breast Implant Information

ASPS Statement on PIP Implants in Australia (12 March 2012)

Associate Professor Rod Cooter, President Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, welcomed the announcement over the weekend from the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, that Medicare will subsidise MRI scans of PIP implants to assess if they're ruptured.

“There is a level of genuine anxiety in the community in relation to these PIP implants and this announcement goes some way to reduce that anxiety”, Associate Professor Cooter said.

“Patient safety is our priority and as specialist plastic surgeons our recommendation is always to err on the side of caution. If anyone has concerns, they should consult with their doctor or surgeon for an individual  assessment”, he said.

“For any item to be validly claimed under Medicare the item descriptor must be met, and the service must be a clinically relevant service. There are some existing items that could feasibly be met for removal, or removal and replacement, of a PIP prosthesis.  Clinical relevance need not rely on a physical complication of retention of a prosthesis.  A provider could reasonably argue that a woman suffering significant or debilitating anxiety consequent on retention of her implants has legitimate grounds to have the prostheses removed as a necessary aspect of her treatment”, he said.

“The PIP situation underscores the need for reliable international data on breast implants for both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery”, Associate Professor Cooter said.

“We continue to encourage all doctors, surgeons and patients to register their implant details with the existing voluntary and “opt-in” breast implant registry, managed by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, while we pilot our new Breast Device Registry which is designed to be “opt-out” and hence will capture more comprehensive data”, he said.

“We have sought a meeting with the Federal Minister, as soon as possible, to discuss how a more accessible, ‘opt-out’ Breast Device Registry will improve patient safety and health outcomes”, Associate Professor Cooter said.

The Medical Journal of Australia published an article on the need for a Breast Device Registry:
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2012/196/4/transforming-australia-s-breast-implant-registry

For more information about receiving a scan, visit the Department of Health website.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/medicare-eligible-mri-service-for-pip-breast-implants.

Click here to read the latest news on breast implants.

ASPS Code of Practice

ASPS has a new Code of Practice. To download it click on the banner to the right.

Patient information resource

ASPS works in collaboration with many Government agencies to provide useful information for patients. Content partner, BetterHealth Channel, has produced an iPhone & iPad app for you to download. Simply click the image on the right to get started.
 

Buyer Beware

To read information on the dangers of buying on-line or from overseas, click here.

Patient Education 3D Animations

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has new 3D patient education animations to help patients better understand both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures they are considering.  Please click the link below the image to view various plastic surgery procedures.

View Procedures in 3D

All Members of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons are distinguished by these unique attributes:

• Members are bona fide specialist plastic surgeons who are in full-time plastic surgery practice.
• Members have undertaken a minimum of 12 years education and training.
• Members have undertaken at least 7 years of training after the completion of medical school.
• The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery training program requires a minimum of 5 years specialist Surgical Education and Training.
• Members hold a Fellowship of the  Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS Plast) or its equivalent.
• The Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) is an award, fully accredited by the Australian Medical Council which is the only body authorised by the Commonwealth Government to certify all medical training.
• ASPS is authorised by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons to administer post graduate surgical training programs for the specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
• ASPS promotes research in the specialty of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
• Medicare Australia recognises all ASPS members as specialist plastic surgeons. 

Click here to read more about the Qualifications of ASPS Member Surgeons.

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Separating the Myths from the Facts

Plastic Surgery Facts:

1. Plastic Surgery covers a broad scope of practice from procedures to improve one’s aesthetic appearance to reconstructive surgery including trauma burns and congenital defects such as cleft palates.
    
2. Safety and patient care is always paramount. 
    
3. All surgery, cosmetic and reconstructive, whether performed under local or general anaesthetic, in day surgery or in hospitals, can carry serious risk. 
    
4. All patients should be very careful about their choice of surgeon. Results cannot be guaranteed. The choice of surgeon may be the most important decision a patient makes.
    
5. It is important to be self aware and challenge one’s own expectations about possible results and motivations in seeking surgery. 
    
6. It is important to understand claims from practitioners about academic qualifications, training and experience as well as overly simplistic descriptions of procedures. Any doctor, who might not even be a specialist surgeon, is allowed to perform surgery if the patient consents to the operation. 
    
7. All ASPS members are fully trained specialist plastic surgeons which involves qualification and training in surgery, specialising in plastic and reconstructive surgery which qualifies for Fellowship to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

 Click here to find out about Plastic Surgery Myths.

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