Why I am a plastic surgeon by Mr Gerard Lambe

Mr Gerard Lambe, Consultant Plastic Surgeon

The popular image of plastic surgery is a wealthy cosmetic surgeon who mainly spends his or her days performing facelifts and breast augmentations. This is not however the real picture of many working surgeons in the UK and not what attracted me to it in the first place. Plastic surgery is a very difficult specialty to gain entry to and requires a long period of training.

I first became inspired to pursue this career after a talk from a group of plastic surgeons while I was in medical school. They showed us the breadth and variety of surgery they did and what I considered to be miracles such as reattaching fingers and saving people from life threatening burns.

There simply is no other branch of surgery that tackles the vast array of problems and body regions that plastic surgeons do. I have been privileged to operate on all ages from the new-born to 96 year olds. I have been able to perform surgery in all areas of the body hands, face, breast, chest wall and everything in between.

Plastic surgeons are often called upon to deal with the most challenging problems that other surgeons cannot solve. This can make for both very interesting and very stressful days. However it is rarely boring and always calls upon using your brain to think of creative solutions and not just perform the same operations day after day. It is because of this training and constant self-criticism and desire to improve that plastic surgeons make great cosmetic surgeons in my mind.

I am proud to be part of a speciality that has led the way in frontiers such as face transplants and hand transplants and continues to look at ways that surgery can develop and innovate, in order to solve the most difficult problems. Plastic surgery is about restoring form and function and not just allowing patients to survive, but providing real quality of life and confidence to patients who have been injured through trauma, born with deformity or through radical cancer surgery requiring reconstruction. It is a real honour to be part of it and a challenge every day to live up to the high standards set by the pioneers of the discipline. I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and train with truly inspiring figures who have pushed me to my limits and beyond. The title of plastic surgeon is hard to earn - but it is worth it if you love surgery. 

Cosmetic surgery is just one facet to our work but it is a very demanding one in which we are required to call upon all of our training and skills to achieve rejuvenation and harmonious changes in a patient to achieve their goals. If you are considering a cosmetic procedure make sure that your surgeon is registered with BAAPS or BAPRAS who are the professional bodies in the UK that ensure surgeons keep to the highest standards. Do not be pressured into any procedure and always research your surgeon fully.

For more information or to book an appointment with Mr Lambe, please contact 0161 447 6700 or info@spiremanchester.com

The content of this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other health care professional.