Plastic surgeon

A plastic surgeon is a surgeon who specialises in rebuilding and reshaping the body: reconstruction after cancer (breast reconstruction), after burns or injury, correction of birth differences (cleft lip, prominent ears), hand surgery, and aesthetic surgery (rhinoplasty, breast augmentation or reduction, facelift, tummy tuck). People often say cosmetic surgeon when they are thinking about appearance, but the full title is plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, and the reconstructive side is the core of the training. A first consultation is there to understand what you want, examine the area, explain what is achievable and what is not, go through the risks, scars and recovery, and hand you a written quote. In Israel, reconstruction after cancer or trauma is covered by the health funds in public hospitals, while aesthetic surgery is private and takes place in clinics that must hold a Ministry of Health operating licence.

• ✓Breast reconstruction after mastectomy, immediate or delayed, decided together with the oncologist and the breast surgeon.
• ✓Scarring after burns, a large wound or trauma to the face or hands.
• ✓A birth difference in a child: cleft lip or palate, prominent ears, a hand anomaly.
• ✓A lot of loose skin after major weight loss or bariatric surgery.
• ✓A carefully considered aesthetic request: nose, eyelids, breasts, abdomen, facelift, once the risks and scars are understood.
• ✓A skin cancer (carcinoma, melanoma) to be removed in a visible area where reconstruction matters.
• ✓A complication or disappointing result from a previous cosmetic operation, for a corrective opinion.
• ✓Carpal tunnel syndrome or a tendon injury of the hand, depending on local arrangements (hand surgery).

In Israel, the specialist title in plastic surgery (תעודת מומחה בכירורגיה פלסטית) is granted by the Ministry of Health after a medical degree, the licence to practise and a long surgical residency validated by the Scientific Council of the Israel Medical Association. The crucial point: Israeli law does not stop a doctor without this title from performing aesthetic procedures. 'Cosmetic surgeon' and 'aesthetic doctor' are not protected titles, and a GP, dermatologist or gynaecologist may legally offer injections and sometimes operations. Before any surgery, check on the Ministry's public register (מאגר בעלי רישיון) that the person is listed as a specialist in plastic surgery, and that the operating clinic is licensed. Membership of the Israel Society of Plastic Surgeons (האיגוד הישראלי לכירורגיה פלסטית) is a further marker. A surgeon trained abroad must have obtained the Israeli licence and recognition of the title; a French, British or American diploma alone is not enough. France imposes a statutory fifteen-day cooling-off period and a written quote for aesthetic surgery, and the UK has professional standards along the same lines; Israel has no equivalent legal delay, so give yourself one. Botulinum toxin and filler injections must be given by an authorised physician, never by a beautician.