People Meeting People: On Location with Dr George Marcells

Many of the patients who visit About Face in Bondi Junction don’t know that I am the current President of the Australasian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (AAFPS). It’s a post I’m enormously proud to hold, with a responsibility I take very seriously.

What is that responsibility, you ask? It’s to educate and support specialists who perform aesthetic and reconstructive procedures of the face, head and neck within the Australasia region. Here is a portion of the AAFPS mission statement:

“As a group, we are committed to continual education, research and leadership for doctors and clients with an interest in the field of facial plastic surgery. We convene a conference every year, inviting prominent international speakers, and exchange information, participate in interactive discussion and hands on workshops promoting ongoing excellence to advance our medical knowledge.”

Believe me! Just keeping up with important developments in our respective fields requires a tremendous commitment to excellence and a quest for new knowledge.

This past October, it was my pleasure as AAFPS president to welcome an international group of facial plastic surgeons and aesthetic specialists to our annual conference. The intensive three-day Master’s Symposium was offered in conjunction with the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and included a cadaver dissection workshop covering all aspects of my specialty, functional and aesthetic rhinoplasty.

Master of Rhinoplasty Meets 5 International Counterparts in Sydney

I am very pleased that my patients and colleagues refer to me as the Master of Rhinoplasty. It was an honour to share the stage with other masters of the craft, a truly stellar group of international superstars in the world of rhinoplasty:

• Dr Wolfgang Gubisch, Germany
• Dr Enrico Robotti, Italy
• Dr Dean Toriumi, USA
• Dr Jonathon Sykes, USA
• Dr Yong Ju Jang, Korea

Dr Andrew Frankel also gave an interesting talk during the seminar on the subject of practicing the art and science of cosmetic surgical enhancement in Beverly Hills. It was illuminating to see how similar it is to our industry in Bondi Junction. For example:

“There is a perceived hype created by the entire world around Beverly Hills, and with that comes pressure. It’s a very competitive environment in Beverly Hills amongst surgeons which raises the bar and means doctors have to lift their game.”— Dr Andrew Frankel

The same is true in Bondi Junction, one of the jewels in Australia’s crown. Patients that visit About Face on Spring Street have high expectations regarding the outcome of their procedures, just as high as the patients who consult with doctors on Rodeo Drive. Here at home and on the other side of the world, today’s patients insist on a specialist with proven ability to deliver optimal results.

I’m proud to be able to meet those demands.

Continuing Education: The Front Line of Facial Plastic Surgery

If there is one characteristic that facial plastic surgeons and plastic surgeons share, it’s a genuine hunger for knowledge. We want to know what’s new so we can utilise advancements to help our patients.

Professional organisations such as the AAFPS and ASPS help my colleagues and me stay current. They routinely offer seminars and lectures aimed at keeping members up to date on

• Industry Innovations
• Scientific Research
• Trends

I believe that the collective knowledge of facial plastic surgeons is being constantly enriched by the work of researchers and practitioners from across the world. That’s what makes it so energising to attend masterclasses and conferences.

When I have the opportunity to come together with my colleagues, I am exposed to new methods, better techniques and updated technologies. Together with a growing understanding of facial structures, these new technologies enable us to deliver high- quality, safe outcomes for patients, just like you.