ISLHD Plastic Surgery Unit head, Professor Peter Haertsch and trainee Sonia Sinclair.
The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District's growing Plastic Surgery Unit has received a major boost with news recently that the unit's trainee accreditation has been extended until 2027.
The unit, headed by renowned plastic surgeon, Clinical Associate Professor Peter Haertsch, has been gradually expanding since it started at Wollongong Hospital six years ago, meaning patients can have this specialised surgery close to home.
In a vote of confidence for the unit, last year the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons approved a Surgical Education and Training (SET) trainee. A 12-month review of the program by the College has approved the five-year extension.
Professor Haertsch said the accreditation was great news for the District, patients and trainee plastic surgeons.
"Prior to the creation of the Plastic Surgery Unit at Wollongong Hospital the majority of maxillofacial, hand injury, road trauma and breast reconstruction patients had to travel to receive surgery,'' Professor Haertsch said. "The only reason people need to go to Sydney now is for replantation surgery.
"The ongoing expansion of our team means shorter wait times and importantly, people can stay in their local area, close to their support networks at the time when they need them most.''
The trainees are chosen after an Australia-wide merit-based selection process and undertake a rigorous, five-year traineeship with six-monthly rotations at hospitals including Wollongong.
For current trainee Sonia, her stint at Wollongong Hospital provides the opportunity to follow her plastic surgery dreams where she grew up.
"I am extremely grateful for the incredible opportunity to be training here in Wollongong,'' Sonia said.
"The variety and complexity of the work that is undertaken here by a relatively small team, means I am getting a really unique, hands-on experience, which is fantastic."
In working with Professor Haertsch, Sonia also has the opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced plastic surgeons in Australia.
Professor Haertsch received an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for his work with burns victims after the Bali bombing and in 2018 he received an AM for his services in the field of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He also treated burns victims of the 2019 White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand, as well as people injured in the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires.
