Nothing is decided
in a single appointment.

If you are seeking cosmetic surgery, current Australian regulations require a referral from an independent GP or another medical specialist who does not perform cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedures.

For medically indicated and reconstructive surgery, a valid referral may also be required to access applicable Medicare benefits.

Our team can advise you about the referral requirements when arranging your appointment.

The referral requirement forms part of Australia's regulatory framework for cosmetic surgery.

It provides an opportunity for your GP or another independent medical specialist to consider your general health and reasons for seeking surgery and to provide relevant medical information to your surgeon.

The referring practitioner is not being asked to decide whether you should have a particular cosmetic operation. The final assessment and surgical decision remain between you and your treating surgeon.

Preferably, your referral will come from your usual GP because they are likely to know your medical history.

However, Australian regulations allow referral by another Australian-registered GP or medical specialist, provided the referring practitioner does not perform cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedures.

The first consultation is primarily an assessment and information-gathering appointment.

Dr Larsen will discuss your concerns, goals, health and medical history and, where appropriate, examine the area you are considering having treated.

He will discuss what surgery may—and may not—reasonably achieve, alternatives to the proposed procedure and the option of not having surgery.

Potential risks, scars, recovery and the longer-term implications of surgery will also form part of the decision-making process.

Yes.

For cosmetic surgery, Australian regulations require at least one in-person consultation with the medical practitioner who will perform the operation.

Your surgical assessment and operative planning are undertaken by Dr Larsen.

Australian regulations require at least two pre-operative consultations for cosmetic surgery.

The process is intended to provide adequate opportunity to assess whether surgery is appropriate, discuss alternatives, benefits and risks, answer questions and allow you to make a considered decision. At least one consultation must be in person with the doctor performing the surgery.

For cosmetic surgery, current Medical Board guidelines state that patients must not be asked to sign their surgical consent form at the first consultation.

Consent can occur only after an in-person consultation with the doctor who will perform the operation. This is part of ensuring that consent is a process rather than simply the signing of a document.

After the required consultations have occurred and informed consent has been given, cosmetic surgery patients must have a cooling-off period of at least seven days before surgery can be booked or a deposit paid.

You can, of course, take longer than seven days to decide.

Australian cosmetic-surgery guidelines require surgeons to assess a patient's motivations and expectations and to screen all patients seeking cosmetic surgery for body dysmorphic disorder using a validated screening tool.

This does not mean that your surgeon assumes you have a psychological condition. It is a routine patient-safety requirement applying to people seeking cosmetic surgery.

If screening suggests a significant underlying psychological issue that could make cosmetic surgery inappropriate, the Medical Board guidelines require further independent evaluation by an appropriate GP, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Sometimes the safest recommendation is to defer or not proceed with surgery.

Yes.

Surgery is not necessarily the best treatment for every concern or every patient. Your health, anatomy, expectations, motivations, likely benefit and surgical risk all need to be considered.

A surgeon has a professional responsibility not to perform an operation when they believe it is not in the patient's best interests.

Some consultations may be possible by video, particularly for patients travelling from elsewhere in Tasmania or interstate.

For cosmetic surgery, however, at least one of the required pre-operative consultations must be in person with the surgeon who will perform the operation.

Yes. You are welcome to bring a partner, family member or trusted support person.

Having another person present can sometimes be useful when discussing a significant operation, recovery and the information involved in making your decision.