Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

 

History

The Royal Adelaide Hospital through its Board of Directors formally recognised plastic surgery by creating the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery on 3 August 1959. Under the control of Mr D.N. Robinson the department was given an allocation of five beds.

As a pioneer in the field of plastic surgery Mr Robinson understood the essential characteristics which define this surgical discipline. These include technical, philosophical and science based surgical approaches which could be applied to solving problems in all parts of the body. This sets plastic surgery apart from other areas of surgery that are confined to anatomical or physiological boundaries.

Over a period of forty years the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has evolved from a single part time surgeon to the present day complex offering a comprehensive and multifaceted plastic surgical service and is now recognised as one of the major Plastic and Reconstructive Units in Australasia.