Patients & Consumers

Under this section you can find out about plastic surgery in general, read about specific procedures, learn how to plan for surgery and browse frequently asked questions. You may also find a surgeon, learn your patient rights and view our fees policy.

ASPS believes it is important you are well informed about plastic surgery prior to consultation so you can make considered decisions about treatment.

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

View 3D Procedures

Plastic Surgery News

ASPS maintains an up to date, plastic surgery related media section.

Please click here to access our news page.

2009 Choice Survey on Cosmetic Surgery Practices

The article published by Choice Magazine on 25th February 2009 is broken into three parts which can be viewed below.

Cosmetic surgery
CHOICE magazine investigates the growing cosmetic surgery industry and uncovers some disturbingly unprofessional practices.

A non-regulated industry
While most practitioners regularly describe themselves as either plastic surgeons or cosmetic surgeons, in some cases the difference can be up to eight years of additional training for plastic surgeons. Despite the popularity of cosmetic procedures and increasing competitiveness of the industry, in Australia there is no regulatory body. Instead, there is a range of medical colleges and associations all claiming to offer training and qualifications for doctors providing a range of cosmetic procedures.

What our shadow shoppers found
Overall, the results of our shadow shop are concerning. Without discussing risks, it’s extremely difficult for a potential patient to make an informed decision. There were also some important questions that some cosmetic surgeons did not ask the shadow shoppers, which are critical to ensure the patient’s safety.

Click here to download the Choice Magazine survey in full.

Click here to read the reaction of the survey in the media

Informed Consent

At the highest level of care, every surgery has risks as well as benefits. ASPS recognises the surgeon-patient relationship is one of shared decision-making. This decision-making process is called informed consent. The ASPS “Statement of Principle on Informed Consent” details the information that should be discussed and understood by the patient as well as the patient’s parents or guardian. For more information on informed consent, patients are encouraged to talk with their surgeons.