By Susie O’Brien
Article first appeared in the Herald Sun
GPs with just a few weeks’ training in surgery are performing cosmetic operations.
“A lot of people are having tummy tucks, eyelid lifts and breast operations that are not done by specialist surgeons,” said Assoc Prof Rod Cooter, president of the Australian College of Plastic Surgeons.
“A lot of these people purport to be plastic surgeons but they may not have specialist surgical qualifications and it’s hard for the public to work it out.
“It’s the masquerading that’s the issue, and legislators need to qualify who is a surgeon and who is not.”
Plastic surgeon Dr Chris Moss said one of the problems was that doctors “can call themselves a surgeon just because they perform surgery – even if they have not done any specialist surgical training”.
The debate reflects the turf war between plastic surgeons – who have at least six years of medical training and six of specialty surgery training – and cosmetic doctors who have a medical degree but are not trained as surgeons.
In Victoria both are permitted to perform surgery.
But cosmetic doctors say they are highly trained and specialised, and have excellent results.
Dr Gavin Chan, who specialises in non-surgical procedures, said patients should look at a doctor’s experience and reputation and use a trusted referral source.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show just 0.8 per cent of all medical indemnity claims are lodged against cosmetic and plastic surgeons.
