OPINION - Who should decide the qualification to do cosmetic surgery?

In my opinion – certainly not the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS), if the new requirements in their Cosmetic Surgery Certification Scheme are read correctly, because self-certification without a formal training assessment and formal examination is meaningless. The...

Breast augmentation from a patient perspective

When I was 17 and saw Pamela Anderson on Baywatch I knew I wanted to have breast implants. A plastic surgeon had an office nearby so I went to find out more. The woman who spoke with me was lovely,...

Auricular reconstruction: flip-flop flap

Describing an approach to the straightforward and reliable flip-flop axial flap for reconstruction of the conchal bowl subunit of the auricle. The ‘flip-flop’ flap describes an axial subcutaneous island flap lying between the auricular sulcus and mastoid process. The flap...

OPINION - Influencers affect us all: but are they as good as we think?

Recently I was approached by the son of a 75-year-old lady for a second opinion on a large fungating malignant melanoma on the outer lateral aspect of her left thigh. She had noticed an enlarging 50p size pigmented lesion just...

Improving cosmesis after breast implant removal

Removing breast implants has a profound effect on the patient’s appearance; in this article the authors, both expert breast surgeons, discuss how to optimise the cosmetic result. Removing breast implants has a profound effect on the patient’s appearance and we...

Periocular burns: a literature review of classification, management protocols and outcomes of treatment

The author provides a review of the current literature regarding the principles of classification, management protocols of acute ocular and periocular burns and the role of the burn and oculoplastic surgeon involved in their care. More than two-thirds of facial...

The origin of the Children’s Burns Club

Burn injuries can affect any of us or our families at any time. A momentary lapse in attention can lead to a lifetime of scarring. Whilst any individual member of a family group can be physically scarred, all the family...

Stem cells in reconstructive surgery: a bright but cautious future

Regenerative medicine using stem cell technology is slowly becoming a reality in routine clinical practice especially in the field of tissue regeneration [1]. It is therefore not surprising that stem cell technology is starting to be of interest in reconstructive...

Plastic surgery and safety issues: a patient perspective

Patient safety in the unregulated world of cosmetic plastic surgery is now an extremely serious global issue. The media is always ready to sensationalise disasters but what can be done to prevent them? One key issue is the concept of...

The safety of performing elective dermatological procedures under local anaesthetic during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance advised postponement of elective procedures except for time-critical local anaesthetic (LA) procedures [1-3]; our NHS Trust therefore continued with LA skin malignancy surgery. All patients having possible skin cancer lesions removed...

The Evolution of Wood MediSpa

As surgeons we must have all dreamt of owning our own facility. The perfect dream of a stand-alone private hospital with the entire patient journey seamlessly mapped out. It would offer unparalleled continuity of care – the same team doing...

Making the most of the temporalis fascia graft in open rhinoplasty: an innovative technique with outcomes of 2000 cases over a 15-year period

The authors present a technique that increases the surface area of a temporalis fascia graft when used to provide smooth, dorsal coverage in cases of open tip rhinoplasty. Numerous graft materials have been developed for use in rhinoplasty procedures in...