About the Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery Department

  • COVID-19 update

    During the current situation with regards to COVID-19 we would like to reassure you, our patients and families, that we are working hard to make sure that we continue to provide you with the best possible care. If you have any questions relating to Plastic or Maxillofacial surgery or clinic appointments, please email us at  plastic.surgery@rch.org.au and we will get back to you, although there may be a delay while we work through these queries.

    Message from the Head of Department

    Plastic head of department"The Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery Department is an innovative and internationally respected unit. We have been providing care to children and their families, both locally and throughout Australia, since the department's inception in 1948. The skilled surgeons of yesteryear and today have provided a comprehensive range of surgical services to assist the children within their care. Our services are directed at the form and function of the individual, helping them through their early years, through to becoming young adults. Within our department we pride ourselves on excellence in clinical care, service, undergraduate and postgraduate education and internationally recognised research.

    Binding these above areas together are the overarching themes of collaboration, collegiality, innovation and creativity. This enables the staff of our department to provide a complete range of state of the art plastic and maxillofacial surgery services to improve the lives of children with congenital and acquired conditions. These include craniofacial and maxillofacial disorders, cleft lip and palate services, paediatric hand and limb anomalies, vascular anomalies and general plastic and maxillofacial conditions.

    Post-graduate education is integral to the philosophy of departmental activities with training posts at various levels. Our surgeons are at the forefront of advancing medical knowledge through clinical and experimental research, and this supports continued development and evolution within the department. Many of our surgeons have enviable international reputations and are regularly invited to present our work and research outcomes at numerous national and international meetings.

    We are dedicated to providing our patients with the most comprehensive and individualised patient centered care, and your thoughts, concerns, and objectives are considered crucial in the creation of a tailored treatment plan.

    Prof Chris Coombs
    Clinical Professor, University of Melbourne