These rules were not written to create paperwork. They followed independent review of the cosmetic surgery sector and are, at their core, consumer protection: guardrails designed to slow decisions down, improve the information patients receive, and make it harder for underqualified practitioners to operate. Understanding them helps you recognise a practice worth trusting. This article explains each element in plain English, with the official sources at medicalboard.gov.au and ahpra.gov.au listed at the end.
Why do I need a GP referral for cosmetic surgery?
Since the reforms took effect, patients seeking cosmetic surgery must have a referral from their GP or another independent medical practitioner — the same starting point as for other specialist surgery in Australia.
The value of this is independence. Your GP has no stake in whether you proceed. They know your medical history, your medications and often your circumstances, and they can raise issues a cosmetic clinic might never see — from an undiagnosed condition that changes the risk picture to a life event that makes major surgery poorly timed. The referral also creates a medical record trail, so your regular doctor knows what surgery you are considering and can support you afterwards.
Why are two consultations required?
Before any cosmetic surgery, you must have at least two pre-operative consultations, and at least one of them must be in person with the medical practitioner who will perform your surgery — not a nurse, a patient coordinator or a video call standing in for the surgeon.
The reasoning is straightforward. One consultation is a sales conversation waiting to happen; two consultations, separated in time, give you the chance to absorb information, go home, think, and return with questions. Meeting your surgeon in person means the person operating on you has personally examined you, discussed your goals and explained the risks — and you have had the opportunity to assess them, too. For a procedure like rib remodelling, that second consultation is typically where the surgical plan, the recovery and corset protocol and the realistic range of outcomes are worked through in detail.
What is BDD screening and why is it mandatory?
All patients seeking cosmetic surgery must be screened for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) using a validated screening tool — a structured, evidence-based questionnaire, not an informal chat.
BDD is a recognised health condition involving significant distress about perceived appearance flaws. For a person experiencing BDD, surgery does not resolve the distress and can deepen it. The screening requirement protects people from undergoing irreversible procedures that cannot address the real problem, and directs them instead towards care that can. If screening raises concerns, the practitioner must refer the patient for evaluation by a psychologist, psychiatrist or GP before any surgery is considered. Our article on suitability and assessment for rib remodelling explains how this fits into the wider candidacy picture.
What is the 7-day cooling-off period?
After you have given informed consent, a minimum of 7 days must pass before your surgery can be booked and before any deposit can be taken.
This is deliberate friction. Major decisions made in a consulting room, immediately after a persuasive conversation, are not always the decisions people would make a week later at their kitchen table. The cooling-off period sets that week aside for you — free of financial commitment — to re-read the material you were given, discuss it with family, seek another opinion, or change your mind entirely without cost or awkwardness. A practitioner who tries to hurry you through it, or pressure you into paying early, is acting outside both the rules and your interests.
Who is allowed to be called a “surgeon” now?
This may be the most significant reform of all. From 2023, changes to the National Law restrict use of the title “surgeon” by medical practitioners: it may only be used by doctors who hold specialist registration in an appropriate surgical specialty — such as specialist plastic surgery — following accredited surgical training.
Before this change, “cosmetic surgeon” was not a protected title. A doctor without specialist surgical training could describe themselves that way, and many patients understandably assumed it signified qualifications it did not. That is why this site never uses the term “cosmetic surgeon”. The correct title for the practitioners relevant to rib remodelling is Specialist Plastic Surgeon — a doctor who holds specialist registration in plastic surgery, generally signified in Australia by FRACS (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Rib remodelling itself is an established, published surgical technique — in the peer-reviewed literature since 2021, with international case series, systematic reviews and a 2025 meta-analysis of 318 patients — performed internationally by plastic surgeons. In Australia it is performed exclusively by FRACS specialist plastic surgeons with specialist Medical Board registration, fully insured, at accredited facilities with general anaesthesia administered by specialist anaesthetists. Plainly put: the title on the door now has to be backed by accredited training and specialist registration, and that is checkable.
How do I check my practitioner’s AHPRA registration?
Every registered health practitioner in Australia appears on the national register, which is public and free to search at ahpra.gov.au. Checking it takes a few minutes and is one of the most useful things you can do before any consultation:
- Go to the register of practitioners on the AHPRA website (ahpra.gov.au).
- Search the practitioner’s name.
- Check that they hold specialist registration, and in which specialty — for procedures like rib remodelling, look for “Specialist Plastic Surgeon” / specialist registration in plastic surgery, not general registration alone.
- Review any conditions, undertakings or restrictions on their registration, which the register also displays.
If a practitioner’s marketing claims do not match their register entry, treat that as important information. Whatever you are told in a consultation, the register is the authoritative record.
How do the advertising rules protect me?
The reforms also tightened the rules on how cosmetic surgery may be advertised, and these protections are often overlooked because they work by absence — by what you are not shown. Under the National Law and the Medical Board’s advertising guidelines:
- Testimonials and reviews are prohibited in advertising of regulated health services. Glowing patient stories are powerful, unverifiable and unrepresentative — which is exactly why they are banned.
- Imagery must be honest. Before-and-after photographs must not be misleading: no idealised or heavily edited images, and no presentation that implies a typical result that the evidence does not support.
- Claims must be realistic and substantiated. Advertising must not create unreasonable expectations of benefit, downplay risk or recovery, or use language that trivialises surgery.
- Content must not target minors, and cosmetic surgery is not offered to people under 18.
When a practice declines to show testimonials, avoids dramatic language and cites risks alongside outcomes — as this site does — that is a mark of a practice you can trust: one operating within rules written after real patients were harmed by marketing that promised more than surgery can deliver. Every page here that discusses the procedure links to the full risk information: read about the risks of rib remodelling, and see the procedure page for an evidence-based description of what the operation involves.
What this means for you, in practice
Australian regulations require a referral from your GP or another independent medical practitioner, at least two pre-operative consultations (including one in person with your surgeon), screening for body dysmorphic disorder, and a minimum 7-day cooling-off period after informed consent before surgery can be booked. Rib remodelling is not available to people under 18.
If a provider offers you a path around any of those steps — no referral needed, one video consultation, a deposit today to “hold your date” — that is not convenience. It is a red flag, and the reforms exist precisely so you can recognise it as one. Choosing a practice that welcomes this framework, rather than working around it, is one of the best decisions you can make.
When you are ready to begin the proper pathway with a FRACS specialist plastic surgeon working to Australian standards, request a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Do the reforms apply to rib remodelling?
Yes. Rib remodelling performed for appearance-related reasons is cosmetic surgery, so the full framework applies: GP referral, two consultations, BDD screening, the 7-day cooling-off period and the advertising rules.
Can I still see a practitioner who isn’t a Specialist Plastic Surgeon?
The title reforms restrict who may call themselves a surgeon; your choice of practitioner remains yours. But the register at ahpra.gov.au lets you see exactly what registration and specialty a practitioner holds, so you can make that choice with accurate information rather than marketing titles.
Does the cooling-off period cost me anything?
No. The minimum 7 days runs after informed consent and before booking or deposit — you should not be asked for money to “secure” anything during it, and you may change your mind at no cost.
Rib remodelling is surgery, and all surgery carries risk. Possible complications include pneumothorax (collapsed lung), bleeding, infection, nerve injury and ongoing pain, asymmetry, scarring, and risks associated with general anaesthesia. Outcomes vary from person to person. Read our full risk information before considering this procedure.
Medical review: This article is general information only and does not replace a consultation with a specialist plastic surgeon. Rib remodelling carries risks — read them at /risks/. All surgery requires a GP referral, two consultations and a mandatory cooling-off period.
References
Medical Board of Australia — cosmetic surgery guidelines and reforms: https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA): https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
AHPRA — Register of practitioners: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registers-of-Practitioners.aspx