No Images? Click here Alarming trend of cutting corners in booming cosmetic surgery sectorIt’s hard to miss the websites and current affairs ‘expose’ of the burgeoning industry of cosmetic surgery tourism. We see some incredible complications from internationally-performed operations, and have always wondered what sort of training these 'surgeons' received? We were both under the impression that the overseas surgeries may have been cheaper, due to potentially lower hospital costs, less accreditation and insurance requirements, or even cheaper materials. But just recently, we’ve seen a lot of new evidence published in professional journals and the media. The surgeries are in fact, not necessarily cheaper and the cost could be far greater than a monetary one in the long run. Unfortunately, the result is a rise in the number of complications, including horror stories such as silicone implants protruding through the nose weeks after an operation and patients being unable to open their eyes after eyelid surgery. And the unfortunate thing is that the same thing happens here in Australia, where anyone with a medical degree can claim to be as well-trained in cosmetic procedures as a FRACS Specialist Plastic Surgeon. And it is likely to stay this way, due to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stating that it is the patient's responsibility to research the credentials of their 'surgeon,' the basis being that if they changed the law to only allow surgeons, trained in surgery by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, perform surgery on people then it would be 'anti-competitive.' Our own position is that patient safety comes first. Full stop. - Dr Matthew Peters & Dr Raymond Goh VPS Information EveningsA big thank you to all the guests who attended our first Client Information Evening in October. Our own cosmetic physician Dr Binaca demonstrated how anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers can dramatically improve your appearance and international fashion designer Juli Grbac talked about dressing for your shape. We look forward to hosting you at more of these events.... just drop us an email if you're interested in coming to the next information and demonstration evening. Breast reconstruction at the speed of life.Dr Matthew Peters recently attended the "Plastic Surgery - The Meeting" - a conference that brings together the best and the brightest surgeons in their specialities, to share their expertise with colleagues from nearly 50 countries around the globe. As part of his trip to California, he also visited the AirXpander factory in Palo Alto (not surprisingly in Silicone Valley!) to see the development process of these cutting-edge devices. Dr Peters has been using the system for almost a year now in Australia and met with American surgeons to discuss his experience with the AirXpanders ahead of their distribution in the US. Know Your RiskWhile Pink Ribbon Month may be over for another year, the high importance of breast cancer awareness continues. One of the best cancer prevention strategies is to have a community that is informed about their risks and empowered to act as their own health advocate. The “Know your Risk tool” from Pink Hope is a wonderful online assessment that can assist in determining your risk. Find the resource HERE: |