How to Find a Specialist Plastic Surgeon on plasticsurgery.org.au

Updated

plasticsurgery.org.au is the website of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the peak body for specialist plastic surgeons in Australia. It offers a "Find a Surgeon" tool that lets you search for accredited Specialist Plastic Surgeons, and it also publishes guidance on how to choose a surgeon and what to ask before committing to a procedure. Use it if you want to confirm that a surgeon is an ASPS member and holds the accreditation described on the site; it is a directory and information resource, not a booking or pricing platform.

What the site is

The ASPS describes itself as the peak body for Specialist Plastic Surgeons, covering both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The site is organised around a few main functions:

  • Find a Surgeon – a search tool for locating accredited Specialist Plastic Surgeons.
  • Procedures – general information about surgical procedures.
  • Information for Patients – guidance on choosing a surgeon, surgical fees, Medicare and procedure cover, and the complaints process.
  • Patient safety and regulation – material on how plastic surgery is regulated in Australia and how to report complications.

Who counts as a Specialist Plastic Surgeon

According to the site, only specialist plastic surgeons are accredited by the Commonwealth Government of Australia, through the Australian Medical Council, to perform all reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The site also provides explanations of related terms, including:

  • What FRACS means
  • What "Specialist Plastic Surgeon" means
  • What training an ASPS member has

If you are unsure whether a surgeon's title reflects this accreditation, these pages are the place to check the definitions the Society uses.

Steps to find a surgeon

  1. Go to plasticsurgery.org.au.
  2. Select the Find a Surgeon option (the site presents it as a button on the homepage and in the main navigation).
  3. Use the search tool to look for surgeons. The site states the tool helps you find an accredited Specialist Plastic Surgeon and provides information to make your decision easier.
  4. Review the results for each surgeon's credentials and contact details.
  5. Cross-check the surgeon against the site's patient guidance before making contact.

The site does not publish prices, so treat the directory as a starting point for your own enquiries rather than a source of cost information.

Prepare before you search

The site's patient section includes a page of Questions for Your Surgeon and a Plastic Surgery Glossary. Reading these first means you can use the same vocabulary the Society uses when you speak to a practice, and you arrive at a consultation with specific questions rather than general ones.

Check the surgeon's status

The site provides a page titled Is Your Surgeon an ASPS Member? Use it alongside the Find a Surgeon results. Membership is the site's own marker, so verifying it there is more reliable than relying on a practice's marketing.

Know what the site does not do

  • It does not list fees or provide quotes; the Surgical Fees page explains the topic generally rather than publishing prices.
  • It does not book appointments for you.
  • It does not replace a consultation. The site frames its role as helping you understand your options and select a surgeon safely.

If something goes wrong

The site includes a Complaints Process page and a route for reporting complications arising from surgical tourism. It also links to the Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR) for patients with breast devices, including access to Breast Implant Registry data and information on BIA-ALCL, BIA-SCC and other cancers. These are the site's own channels, so use them rather than third-party forums if you need to raise an issue formally.