About Dr Lewis Blennerhassett
Why did you become a plastic surgeon?After initially working in neurosurgery and then general surgery, I was attracted to the specialty of Plastic Surgery because it is a field where the work is highly challenging, meticulous and creative. The surgery also has a significant positive life changing impact by improving both form and function across the entire body, not just one part of the body.
What are your primary plastic surgery interests and why?As a Specialist Plastic Surgeon, I perform surgery on the entire body, however my primary areas of interest are facial and breast plastic surgery.
What do you love most about your job as a plastic surgeon?I love meeting and assisting people from all walks of life to achieve their goals through surgery– I feel very privileged to be able to play a part in doing this.
Also for me, the operating theatre is my “happy place”, where I have spent the past two decades performing around 20,000 operations. I operate on every part of the body – so each day is never the same. |
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What is the hardest part about being a plastic surgeon?
As well as performing private cosmetic surgery, I work in a public children’s hospital where I am called in to operate on young children who have been seriously injured in accidents or have birth anomalies.
I use the same meticulous skills I use in cosmetic surgery to help rebuild damaged sections of their body or improve form and function.
It is hard to see these children injured and in pain, but their bravery, their cooperation and their drive to recover quickly - to get out of bed and return to the playground – never ceases to amaze me.
I use the same meticulous skills I use in cosmetic surgery to help rebuild damaged sections of their body or improve form and function.
It is hard to see these children injured and in pain, but their bravery, their cooperation and their drive to recover quickly - to get out of bed and return to the playground – never ceases to amaze me.
How would your friends describe you?
Great communicator, easy to get along with, good listener, problem solver, great attention to detail and a strong desire to understand how everything works. Basically a geek, who also loves the outdoors, the ocean and spending time with my family.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I start the day early, having a coffee and a healthy breakfast at home with my wife, then hit the ground running - moving constantly between my private rooms, hospitals and the operating theatre to ensure all my patients are getting first class care. In between all this, I will phone back patients who are recovering at home from surgery or want to ask questions about their aftercare and progress.
I end the day usually dictating medical notes to ensure all the GPs who refer me patients are kept quickly up to date and also keeping up with the latest medical literature on advances in plastic surgery.
Then it’s exercise, dinner, sleep and repeat.
I end the day usually dictating medical notes to ensure all the GPs who refer me patients are kept quickly up to date and also keeping up with the latest medical literature on advances in plastic surgery.
Then it’s exercise, dinner, sleep and repeat.
About Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery
What advice do you have when deciding on a surgeon?
It’s very important to choose a surgeon based on their training, experience, ethics and drive to help others. However, this is very hard for most people to determine via an Internet search or during a quick initial chat.
I recommend only considering Specialist Plastic Surgeons and then using the “12 key questions for your surgeon” recommended by the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) -
It’s important to have a rapport with your surgeon. If you are not feeling like you are on the same page, then it can have implications. The best outcomes are when both of you have the same expectations.
I recommend only considering Specialist Plastic Surgeons and then using the “12 key questions for your surgeon” recommended by the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) -
- Are you a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons?
- Do you have operating restrictions?
- Is the surgery done in an accredited and licensed facility?
- What is your surgical experience?
- What will happen during my procedure?
- What is the aftercare like?
- Can I view before and after photographs?
- What are the risks and complications?
- Do you work alongside a Specialist Anaesthetist?
- What will my recovery be like?
- Is it OK to get a second opinion?
- Also ask for extra info from real people who have been through the same procedure rather than relying solely on Internet comments
It’s important to have a rapport with your surgeon. If you are not feeling like you are on the same page, then it can have implications. The best outcomes are when both of you have the same expectations.
What are some of the reasons that compel people to have cosmetic surgery?
Each person has their own personal reasons for considering surgery and it is very important not to make presumptions and generalise and instead listen to them and work with them on an individual plan to assist them to meet their goals.
However after 25 years working as a surgeon, I do find that most of the people I treat who have cosmetic surgery are not trying to stand out from the crowd. In fact, most just want to blend in to the crowd.
They may feel, for example, that their nose attracts attention or they may feel self conscious about the size of their breasts. For these people, even though the surgery is called cosmetic surgery, it is so much more than that - it has the potential to be life changing. This is why a Specialist Plastic Surgeon, who is trained in both reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery, is so vital for these patients.
However after 25 years working as a surgeon, I do find that most of the people I treat who have cosmetic surgery are not trying to stand out from the crowd. In fact, most just want to blend in to the crowd.
They may feel, for example, that their nose attracts attention or they may feel self conscious about the size of their breasts. For these people, even though the surgery is called cosmetic surgery, it is so much more than that - it has the potential to be life changing. This is why a Specialist Plastic Surgeon, who is trained in both reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery, is so vital for these patients.
Have you ever had to turn patients away due to unrealistic expectations?
Assessing patient expectations is a critical part of the consultation. If I cannot see what the patient is describing to me, or if I do not understand exactly what it is that they are requesting, then I take as much time as is needed until either we are both on the same page, or one of us realises that the proposed treatment is not in their best interest.
It’s much gentler for the patient to come to the realisation that a treatment is not in their best interest, rather than me just telling them.
If I just tell them that I will not operate, without helping them understand the reasoning, they will probably just go somewhere else and maybe have a terrible outcome because the procedure was not in their best interest.
But if I can explain all of the pros and cons of a procedure – outcome, recovery, risks, costs etc. – and enable the patient to weigh it all up, then they are much more empowered and content with their decision not to proceed.
It’s much gentler for the patient to come to the realisation that a treatment is not in their best interest, rather than me just telling them.
If I just tell them that I will not operate, without helping them understand the reasoning, they will probably just go somewhere else and maybe have a terrible outcome because the procedure was not in their best interest.
But if I can explain all of the pros and cons of a procedure – outcome, recovery, risks, costs etc. – and enable the patient to weigh it all up, then they are much more empowered and content with their decision not to proceed.
Do you feel there is a difference between the public’s perception of cosmetic surgery and the type of people who undertake procedures, versus what actually occurs in reality - i.e. big lips, big breast implants, men’s magazine models versus subtle implants, mothers wanting to restore their bodies after children etc
What a lot of people forget is that most cosmetic surgery is done just so that people feel like they can fit in and not stand out because of what they perceive as a physical flaw.
I was once asked by a radio host, when they realised plastic surgeons operate in children’s hospitals, the question “What is the world coming to when children are having plastic surgery?”. This radio host had obviously never seen a child after they had their prominent ears corrected, or a birthmark removed from their face, or a cleft lip repair. Unfortunately, this is the misconception.
What we see in the magazines is the fringe end of cosmetic surgery and definitely not the 99 per cent of patients that we see.
I was once asked by a radio host, when they realised plastic surgeons operate in children’s hospitals, the question “What is the world coming to when children are having plastic surgery?”. This radio host had obviously never seen a child after they had their prominent ears corrected, or a birthmark removed from their face, or a cleft lip repair. Unfortunately, this is the misconception.
What we see in the magazines is the fringe end of cosmetic surgery and definitely not the 99 per cent of patients that we see.
What procedures are becoming more popular and what are decreasing?
There are always new procedures that come in and out of fashion. The pendulum swings in both directions.
Some new procedures may turn out to be good, but only for a small group of patients, or they might prove to be less reliable or long-lasting than the existing techniques. However, we are constantly learning and refining our techniques, and sometimes certain aspects of new procedures can be added to the existing established operations.
The ultimate goal of maximal improvement with minimal risk is always something we strive for. Breast surgery, facial surgery and body surgery have all made big steps in this directions, but are still in a state of evolution.
Some new procedures may turn out to be good, but only for a small group of patients, or they might prove to be less reliable or long-lasting than the existing techniques. However, we are constantly learning and refining our techniques, and sometimes certain aspects of new procedures can be added to the existing established operations.
The ultimate goal of maximal improvement with minimal risk is always something we strive for. Breast surgery, facial surgery and body surgery have all made big steps in this directions, but are still in a state of evolution.
How has cosmetic surgery changed or is changing?
I have great concerns that it is getting harder and harder for the Australian public to determine whether those they are considering perform their cosmetic surgery are trained as a surgeon, are experienced in plastic surgery, will perform the surgery in a hospital and not just in an office space and will have a qualified Specialist Anesthetist to support them.
Many GPs are currently being mistaken for surgeons. I suggest you focus efforts on looking for a Specialist Plastic Surgeon.
Also be aware, that recent legislation changes have been made which will potentially allow overseas surgeons into Australia with less stringent training standards.
Many GPs are currently being mistaken for surgeons. I suggest you focus efforts on looking for a Specialist Plastic Surgeon.
Also be aware, that recent legislation changes have been made which will potentially allow overseas surgeons into Australia with less stringent training standards.
Do you think some feel there is a stigma attached to having cosmetic surgery? and is this changing?
Stigma attached to cosmetic surgery has significantly eroded as the general public has come to understand that good plastic surgery does not drastically change how people look and does not leave them looking “worked on” or “operated on”. Good plastic surgery can help combat the impact of the harsh Australian sun and ageing and ensure they look rejuvenated and refreshed, but still natural and like themselves.
