Should I choose an ENT or a plastic surgeon for facial plastic surgery?

Patients seeking rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty, or other facial plastic surgery procedures in Australia will encounter surgeons from two main specialist training backgrounds — Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Both can perform facial plastic surgery, and both produce excellent results. Understanding the differences in training, focus, and registration can help patients ask better questions and make a more informed choice.

Otolaryngologists (ENT Surgeons) in Facial Plastic Surgery

Otolaryngologists — also called ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) surgeons — complete a six-year specialist surgical training programme through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons covering the full breadth of ear, nose, throat, head, and neck surgery. This training includes extensive rhinology (nose and sinus surgery), which gives otolaryngologists a particularly deep understanding of nasal anatomy, nasal function, and the functional implications of any change made to the nose — knowledge that is directly relevant to rhinoplasty.

Many otolaryngologists who have a particular interest in facial plastic surgery complete additional fellowship training — typically twelve months at an overseas institution in Europe or the United States — specifically in rhinoplasty and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The letters FRACS (ORL-HNS) indicate Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery.

The Otolaryngology training pathway produces surgeons with particular depth in:

• Rhinoplasty — functional and cosmetic — including the airway implications of every surgical change to the nose
• Septoplasty, turbinate surgery, and sinus surgery
• Facelift and neck lift surgery — including deep plane and extended deep plane techniques
• Blepharoplasty and brow lifting
• Reconstructive surgery following skin cancer excision on the face
• Head and neck oncology (cancers of the throat, larynx, salivary glands, thyroid, and neck)

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in Facial Plastic Surgery

Plastic and reconstructive surgeons complete a five-year specialist training programme through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons that covers cosmetic and reconstructive procedures across the whole body — including the face, breast, hand, and body. The letters FRACS (Plast) indicate this training. Some plastic surgeons develop a substantial focus on facial procedures within their practice; others focus predominantly on other areas of the body. A plastic surgeon’s individual experience and volume in the specific procedure you are considering is the most important factor — not simply the specialist registration.

What Matters Most When Choosing

The most important considerations when choosing a surgeon for facial plastic surgery are not which training pathway they came from, but rather:

About Dr Roth’s Background

Dr Jason Roth is a Specialist Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck Surgeon (FRACS ORL-HNS) with fellowship training in rhinoplasty and facial plastic surgery from the United States (Rush University Medical Center, Chicago) and Europe (Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam). He holds the International Board Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and serves as a board member and Treasurer of the Australian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery. His clinical focus is rhinoplasty, facelift and neck lift surgery, and blepharoplasty.

View Dr Roth’s full profile and training → | How to choose a rhinoplasty surgeon → | Arrange a Consultation →