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Our qualification
Medical specialist for plastic and cosmetic surgery
A plastic surgeon is an accredited medical specialist. It requires at least six years of further education with corresponding examinations!
Advanced training for the position of medical specialist in plastic surgery begins upon completion of studies in human medicine with the receipt of a license to practice medicine. In the advanced training phase, the physician has to conduct approximately 600 operations independently with the guidance of an experienced plastic surgeon.
It addition to practical experience and further education in theory, the physician has to complete an examination for medical specialists at the applicable state medical association. Only then does the physician receive the title “medical specialist for plastic surgery” (Facharzt für Plastische Chirurgie). This medical specialization title provides patients with the assurance that the physician has also been educated on the clinical symptom pictures in the field of plastic surgery.
The title “medical specialist for plastic surgery” is the only title which is protected. Other titles such as “cosmetic surgeon,” “beauty surgeon” or “esthetic surgeon” are not protected titles and may be used by any doctor, but they do not say anything about their education or advanced training.
The four pillars of plastic surgery
What is plastic surgery?As early as 500 BC, “plastic surgeons” in India were already making a name for themselves with sensational reconstructions of the surface of the human body: According to historical accounts, they succeeded in performing the first reconstructive rhinoplasty. The high art of filigree reconstruction of shape and function spread from India to other countries. Then, like now, plastic surgery inspired a certain fascination among the public. At the same time, this overarching surgical discipline is often erroneously reduced to its individual sub-specializations. A brief foray into the areas of expertise of physicians belonging to the Association of German Plastic Surgeons should provide insight into the diverse work of a plastic surgeon.
Plastic surgery has four main supporting pillars:
- Cosmetic surgery
- Reconstructive surgery
- Burn surgery
- Hand surgery
Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery refers to operations which are not used to treat a disease, but instead serve to improve the external appearance. As such, it primarily consists of reshaping operations. One of the plastic surgeon’s main medical tasks is patient consultation. This involves making operability assessments, that is, determining whether an operation of the type desired can generally be performed. This also includes a risk assessment on which complications might occur and how high the probability of success is. It is not without reason that this category of operations requires particularly in-depth consultation, since the decision to undergo the operation rests solely with the patient. For this reason, the necessity to advise against an operation arises from time to time. The Association of German Plastic Surgeons considers its members to be under obligation at this juncture in particular, which is why it requires exceptional qualifications.The esthetic aspect is taken into consideration with all plastic surgery operations, of course. Form and function always belong together. Each plastic surgery operation must lead to an esthetic result which is formally satisfactory. This also applies to other fields of plastic surgery such as hand or burn surgery.