There Is No Such Thing as a “Cosmetic Surgeon”

When surgery involves your face, qualifications are not a small detail. Before you book facial surgery, do you know who is qualified to perform it and what level of training they have?

In Australia, not every doctor offering cosmetic surgery has the same training, specialist registration or surgical background. Knowing what to look for can help you ask more informed questions and make a decision based on qualifications, experience and your individual needs.

This is especially important in procedures such as facelift, neck lift, blepharoplasty eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty nose surgery which involve anatomy, anaesthesia, incisions, healing, scarring and risk. These can affect appearance, comfort, breathing, eyelid function, facial movement and how you feel in everyday life.

Why it matters for cosmetic surgery

The phrase or title of cosmetic surgeon has caused confusion in Australia for years. To clear this up, Cosmetic Surgeon is not a recognised or registered title and the use of it has even been banned by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

A person may advertise cosmetic procedures and have medical training or be a general surgeon, but they are not qualified in the same way that a Specialist Plastic Surgeon is.

The distinction matters because it can be misleading. It is understandable that when cosmetic surgery is offered, or a title like “Cosmetic Surgeon” used, people could assume that it means that the surgeon has completed specialist surgical training in cosmetic or plastic surgery. That may not be the case.

How do you check your surgeon’s qualifications?

All of this does not mean that cosmetic surgery is unregulated, it’s quite the opposite. What it does mean though, is that patients need to look past marketing language and check the practitioner’s recognised qualifications, specialist registration and surgical training before booking a consultation.

You can check your surgeons’ qualifications; their registration type, specialty and any conditions, on the publicly available AHPRA register here.

What is a FRACS Plastic Surgeon?

A FRACS plastic surgeon is a fully qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeon who has earned the Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) credential. This title verifies they have completed at least 12 years of medical and surgical education, including a rigorous 5-year specialist training program.

This is very different to a person using cosmetic wording in their advertising or with training in a non-surgical health field. A Specialist Plastic Surgeon has medical surgical training in plastic and reconstructive surgery that others don’t. A difference that becomes highly relevant when a procedure involves the face, eyelids, nose, neck, skin, soft tissue, nerves or deeper facial structures.

When it comes to facial surgery

Facial surgery is personal. The face is closely linked to identity, expression, confidence and communication. It is also anatomically complex.

Face and neck procedures involve skin, fat, muscle, cartilage, bone, blood supply, nerves and healing tissue. They affect both appearance and function, such as Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) does with eye comfort or eyelid position.Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) can relate to breathing as well as appearance and a facelift (Meloplasty) may involve scars in visible or delicate areas.

This is why training matters.

Before proceeding with facial cosmetic surgery, patients should understand who is recommending the procedure, who is performing it, where it will be performed and what follow-up care is included.

Questions to ask before facial surgery

A consultation should give you time to ask direct questions. You should not feel rushed or pressured to proceed. Dr Jeremy Richardson suggests these useful questions if they have not already been mentioned in your consultation:

• Are you registered with AHPRA as a specialist surgeon?
• What is your recognised specialty?
• Do you hold FRACS (Plast)?
• How much of your experience involves facial surgery?
• How do you assess if this procedure suits my anatomy and goals?
• Where will my surgery take place?
• Who will provide anaesthesia?
• What are the main risks of this procedure?
• What recovery time should I plan for?
• What follow-up appointments are included?
• What happens if I have a concern after surgery?

Asking these questions is not being difficult. They are part of informed consent.

About Dr Jeremy Richardson

Dr Jeremy Richardson is a Melbourne-based Specialist Plastic Surgeon (MED0001204528) with qualifications: MBBS (Hons), BMedSc (Hons), DipSurgAnat and FRACS (Plast). He consults at Queens Parade Specialists in Fitzroy North, Melbourne.

His training includes Specialist Plastic Surgery training in Melbourne, international fellowship training through Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, and further cosmetic surgical training in London’s Harley Street Medical District.

Dr Richardson has a special interest in facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, including facelift, neck lift, brow lift, blepharoplasty eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty (nose surgery). He also has experience in head and neck surgery and cleft lip and palate surgery, and volunteers in cleft lip and palate surgical work.

Why Melbourne patients should check carefully

You may have already spent months researching facial cosmetic surgery in Melbourne comparing before and after images, procedure pages, pricing, recovery timelines and social media posts. That research can be helpful, but it can also make decision-making harder.

Marketing can make surgery look simple. Social media can make results look instant. Procedure names can sound familiar before a patient fully understands what the surgery involves.

A consultation should include your concerns, medical history, facial anatomy, reasons for surgery, possible options, recovery, risks and reasons surgery may not be recommended. For patients in Melbourne, Fitzroy North and surrounding areas, qualifications should form part of the decision from the beginning.

What is ANZBCPS Board Certified mean and is it important?

ANZBCPS, Australian and New Zealand Board of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, is the only Board Certification for specialist plastic surgeons in Australia and New Zealand to regulate patient safety and a standard quality of care in cosmetic plastic surgery. Specialist surgeons who are ‘Board Certified’ by the ANZBCPS are bi-nationally recognised and registered as specialist plastic surgeons who perform cosmetic plastic surgery.

To check if your surgeon is an ANZBCPS board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon, or alternatively, find an ANZBCPS board certified cosmetic plastic surgeon that performs the procedure you are looking into, visit https://boardcertified.org.au/.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmetic Surgery

Is a cosmetic surgeon the same as a Specialist Plastic Surgeon?
No. A Specialist Plastic Surgeon has completed recognised specialist surgical training in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The title of cosmetic surgeon does not exist as a recognised specialist category in Australia.

How can I check a surgeon’s qualifications?
You can search the public AHPRA register to review a doctor’s registration type, recognised specialty and any listed conditions. Your consultation also gives you an opportunity to ask directly about FRACS (Plast), procedure experience, facility accreditation and follow-up care.

What does FRACS (Plast) mean?
FRACS (Plast) means Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. It reflects specialist surgical training and assessment in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Plastic surgery in Melbourne

The aim of this article is not to make you fearful, but to help you make a more informed decision about a procedure that could affect your health, appearance and day-to-day life.

If you are considering facelift, neck lift, blepharoplasty, brow lift or rhinoplasty surgery in Melbourne, a consultation with Dr Jeremy Richardson can help you discuss your concerns, options, risks and recovery in a private specialist setting.

To discuss facial cosmetic or reconstructive surgery with Dr Jeremy Richardson, Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Melbourne, contact Queens Parade Specialists in Fitzroy North.

References

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). (2023). Win for patient safety with ‘surgeon’ now a protected title. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/2023-09-13-Title-bill-passes.aspx 

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). (2022). What’s the point of protected titles?https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/2021-12-22-protected-title.aspx

Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. (2020). What Does FRACS Mean? https://plasticsurgery.org.au/information-for-patients/what-does-fracs-mean/

The Guardian. (2021). When it comes to cosmetic surgery, appearances can be deceiving.https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2021/oct/14/when-it-comes-to-cosmetic-surgery-appearances-can-be-deceiving

This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All surgery carries risk and results may vary. Consult Dr Jeremy Richardson, MED0001204528, MBBS (Hons), BMedSc (Hons), DipSurgAnat, FRACS (Plast), Specialist Plastic Surgeon, for personalised advice and tailored treatment.