Unregulated Cosmetic ‘Cowboy Doctor’

Featured on Channel 9’s A Current Affair recently was a concerning story highlighting the impact Australia’s lax regulations are having on some breast augmentation and cosmetic surgery patients.

Sydney’s Dr Les Blackstock is a GP performing cosmetic procedures on women and leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. Unfortunately, scenarios like this happen all too often in Australia due to ‘legal loopholes’ that continue to exist.

Only ‘specialist plastic surgeons’ are properly qualified and accredited to perform cosmetic surgery procedures. Self-described ‘cosmetic surgeons’ and GPs are not.

The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) is lobbying strongly for medical regulations to be tightened to provide clarity and safety for patients undertaking cosmetic surgery procedures. Read the full statement by the ASAPS here.

All Assure Cosmetic Centre doctors are fully-accredited specialist plastic surgeons, with 12+ years of medical training and experience. They are members of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS Plast).

To be confident you’re in safe hands, it is important to choose the right type of doctor.

You can check the official register of plastic surgeons by visiting the ASPS website. If your doctor is not listed, it means they are not a plastic surgeon.

Read about the risks of choosing an unregulated doctor here.

Find out more about the difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a specialist plastic surgeon here.

To discuss your surgical options with one of our specialist plastic surgeons, click here.

Return to In the Media