The team at Valley Plastic Surgery chatted to Style Magazine about their thoughts on the future of plastic surgery and dermatology.

Dr Raymond Goh – Specialist Plastic Surgeon – Director VPS

I think the two words which will shape plastic surgery in the near future are “subtlety” and “regenerative”.

People are not wishing to be noticed after having plastic surgery. They want to change an area of their face or body that bothers them FOR themselves, not for the rest of the world to see. They want to feel more confident, in order to reach their full potential in life. We have to throw out the concepts of an ideal nose, an ideal breast, or a perfect body. The other exciting area of plastic surgery involves utilising patients own tissue for the purpose of enhancement and regeneration. These include using patients’ own fat for breast and body work, and the use of concentrated growth factors and platelet rich plasma (derived from patient’s own blood) for facial and skin work. 

Dr Matthew Peters – Specialist Plastic Surgeon – Director VPS

In the short term I expect to see the continued refinement of procedures and techniques that we are currently offering.

Body contouring makes up a large percentage of my current work load and I see this moving towards a more 360 degree approach. There have also been some exciting advancements in fat transfer techniques making this a more viable option for  patients.

Ultimately artificial intelligence will have an increasing role to play in the future of plastic surgery, with potential for assisted assessment and operative planning. There have also been developments in custom made growth factor laden implant scaffolds that the body takes over.

While this is exciting, there are some things that cannot be replaced by a scalpel held by a skilled human hand.

Dr Kate DeAmbrosis – Dermatologist

The world of dermatology is a constantly evolving field. Our skin is a billboard to the outside world – every spot, every wrinkle and every scar tells a story, and history to date shows we are keen to erase, camouflage and inject to modify our stories where we can.

I see the future of dermatology soaring with the availability and accessibility of tele-dermatology, accelerated by our recent Covid19 journey. Smartphones in conjunction with super-fast internet connections will enable earlier diagnoses and faster treatment plans than ever before.

Artificial intelligence is already here in dermatology, with machines like the VectraVB360 used in public hospitals in Brisbane, able to take 360-degree views of the whole body to identify all skin lesions on a patient. In the future, I see these machines better able to discriminate between benign and malignant, avoiding the need for a skin biopsy by a simple flash of the robot camera.

I see 3D printers also in our future dermatology world – with the ability to create synthetic skin we will be better able to remove skin cancers, repair skin defects and hide blemishes and scars. Skin will be perfectly matched, fully functional, without the need for surgery, needles or discomfort.

The future of dermatology is exciting & bright!

Dr Alys Saylor – Specialist Plastic Surgeon

I’m looking forward to a future of innovation in science and surgery, and especially advances that provide less invasion when patients seek to restore or improve form and function.

I’m very hopeful these advances can comfortably co-exist without people sacrificing mental, emotional or physical health to achieve optimal health.

This article was originally published by Style Magazine in their September 2020 issue.