Qualifications:
MBChB (University of Liverpool 2002), FRACS (plastic and reconstructive surgery 2015)
Profile:
Dr Fiona Smithers, from Northern Ireland, graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2002. She moved to New Zealand in 2003 and subsequently trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Hamilton, Wellington and Auckland. She became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2015 and underwent two further years of subspecialty training in aesthetic surgery, head and neck cancer surgery, and vascular anomalies and laser, at institutes located in Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne.
Fiona holds a public appointment in Hutt Hospital which also incorporates clinics in Palmerston North Hospital, and consults and operates in the private sector from Bowen Hospital.
She has been the Supervisor of Training for plastic and reconstructive surgery in the Wellington region since 2018 and, with the other members of the NZ Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, is responsible for the appointment and training of doctors to become the plastic surgeons of the future.
Fiona was elected as Chair of the NZBPRS in 2024 and also sits on the New Zealand Society of Plastic Surgeons Council.
Fiona was elected as Chair of the NZBPRS in 2024 and also sits on the New Zealand Society of Plastic Surgeons Council.
Fiona has been an invited speaker and organised various international conferences. She is a published author and is regularly asked to review clinical articles for national and international scientific journals.
Areas of interest include:
- Head & Neck Surgery
- Hand Surgery
- Skin Cancer
- General Plastic Surgery
- Vascular Anomalies
Affiliations and Memberships:
New Zealand Society of Plastic Surgeons (NZAPS) - Council memeber
New Zeland Board of Plastic Surgery (NZBPRS) - Chair and Supervisor of Training
Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) interview panel on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Medical Council of New Zealand
New Zeland Board of Plastic Surgery (NZBPRS) - Chair and Supervisor of Training
Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) interview panel on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Medical Council of New Zealand
Australasian Vascular Anomalies Network (AVAN)
International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA)
Australia and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society (ANZHNCS)
What is Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery covers a wide range of different surgical procedures that repair, reconstruct or replace structures in many different parts of the body including the skin, face and head, hands, breast and stomach. Plastic surgery does not involve the use of plastic materials.
Plastic surgery can generally be divided into two main types:
- Reconstructive surgery: is performed on parts of the body that are abnormal or have been affected by a birth defect, accident or disease. This includes cleft lip and palate repair, scar revision or reconstruction (including skin grafts) following burns. Surgery is usually performed to improve function, but may also be performed to bring the appearance of a part of the body as close as possible to normal.
- Aesthetic or cosmetic surgery: improves appearance or body image by reshaping features of the face or body e.g. breast enlargement, face lift, liposuction.
