Cosmetic Surgery Regulation in Australia

After years of campaigning by the Australasian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), it seems it was the programme on 60 Minutes that gave the AHPRA the final push needed to deliver long needed changes to protect cosmetic surgery patients. Exposing the dark underbelly of the cosmetic surgery industry | 60 Minutes Australia

Unfortunately, these doctors and surgeons rely on cosmetic surgery websites to promote themselves as cosmetic surgeons. Typically they use a combination of before and after photos, unverified patient testimonials and star ratings to promote their profiles.The other main platforms that are often used by unscrupulous cosmetic surgeons are Instagram and TikTok.

Australian cosmetic surgeon, Dr Daniel Aronov, is a shocking example of how social media can be used to attract patients. With more than 12.8 million followers on his TikTok and Instagram accounts, he ran two day care hospitals and two clinics performing cosmetic surgery, where multiple concerns about hygiene and safety breaches were highlighted by the media.The Australian Health Practitioner Agency (AHPRA) has now imposed a restriction to practise medicine on Dr Aronov and his hospitals and clinics are currently under investigation.

I really hope that the exposure by 60 Minutes, of the truly appalling disregard shown for patients during cosmetic surgery procedures, is a stark warning to anyone who is tempted by surgeons with high numbers of followers, and high star ratings, based on unverified testimonials. 

Recent changes to legislation have now been made by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Any practitioner using the title surgeon must now be registered as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, FRACS. Although this is definitely a move in the right direction, it doesn’t prevent non-specialist surgeons, or those without appropriate formal training in plastic and cosmetic surgery performing procedures they are often not competent to perform. 

However, regulatory issues associated with the lack of training required to perform cosmetic surgery in Australia, are unfortunately not isolated to Australia. In the US and Canada changes are long overdue. 

Cosmetic Surgery Regulation in the US and Canada

In the US, Canada any registered doctor with a medical licence is legally allowed to perform cosmetic surgery without completing any post-graduate training in surgery. 

Numerous reports of life changing complications and patient deaths after cosmetic surgery occur in the US. This is often due to lack of surgical training and appropriate care, when US Family Physicians and other types of medical practitioners perform cosmetic surgery they are not trained in. You should always check if a cosmetic surgeon based in the US or Canada is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.