Introduction
Dunedin, the longstanding seat of medical education in New Zealand and the birthplace of two of the “Big Four” fathers of plastic surgery1, has in relative terms a recently established Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery department. This account of the development of the department from its infancy through childhood and adolescence focuses on the growth of the acute service provided over 18 years.
Findings
Starting with a sole surgeon in 2007 the department has grown to include five surgeons, two registrars and a clinical nurse specialist. Through the development of the service growth has been strong especially when measured in volumes of acute procedures performed. These have been recorded from the outset of the department and show there to have been a greater than eightfold increase in the acute operating over 18 years.
Numbers of cases have increased in a steady fashion as the full time equivalent of the department has grown. The addition of a plastic surgery trainee in 2023 allowed for more acute operations resulting in a doubling of cases over two years. Despite not being the primary hands service in Dunedin, hand related acutes make up a sixth of all acute operating. Likewise burns make up a fifth of all acute operations.
Discussion
The future is bright for plastic surgery in Dunedin and the department looks forward to a full complement of registrars on an isolated roster, the possibility of a shared hands service with orthopaedics and perhaps even a regional burns unit within the new Dunedin hospital.