Several specialist societies
in Germany are - mainly, partly or exclusively - concerned with aesthetic
Surgery.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie (DGPW,
German Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), founded in 1962,
within the framework of the German Society of Surgery (Deutschen
Gesellschaft für Chirurgie DGC). Aesthetic surgery is only a peripheral
subject. Their members, around 650, are allergologists, eye doctors,
surgeons, dermatologists, gyneacologists, hand surgeons, ENT-specialists,
mouth, face and jaw surgeons, neurosurgeons, othopedists, pathologists,
plastic surgeons, rheumatologists, Thoracic surgeons, emergency surgeons,
urologists and visceral surgeons from Germany as well as from abroad, all
of whom mainly concerned with reconstructive procedures. Some members
carry the additional title "plastic operations".
Vereinigung der Deutschen Plastischen Chirurgen (VDPC, Association of
German Plastic Surgery), founded 1969, it currently has around 1000
members. Its spetrum of activities consists of reconstruction, burnings,
hand and aesthetic. Only specialists in plastic surgery are granted
membership.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ästhetisch-Plastische
Chirurgie DGÄPC, German Society of
Aesthetic-Plastic Surgery) was founded in 1972. It is exclusively
concerned with aesthetic surgery. 24 of its currently 29 members are
specialists in plastic surgery, 3 are ENT-specialists, 2 mouth, face and
jaw specialists with the additional title of "plastic operations".
According to the new statutes, only specialists in plastic surgery are
granted membership.
Link to the
DGAEPC Homepage
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ästhetische Medizin (DGÄM, German Society of
Aesthetic Medicine) was founded in 1987, it currently has around 450
members: general physicians and specialists in anaesthesia, eye medicine,
surgery, dermatology, gyneacology, ENT, mouth, face and jaw, orthopedics,
and plastic surgery. Some of their members carry the additional title of "plastic
surgery". For the time being they called themselves Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Ästhetische Chirurgie (German Society of Aesthetic Surgery) but this
name is to be changed soon. Their main concern is non-surgical aesthetic
medicine and aesthetic surgery.
Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen (VDÄPC,
Association of German Aesthetic-Plastic Surgeons) was founded in 1995 as a
subsidiary of VDPC, their main official concern is aesthetic surgery, they
have around 100 members, all of them plastic surgeons. This is the only
specialist union which does not send out lists of member physicians on
patients requirements. Instead the VDPC sends out a record of medical
directors in departments or clinics and of independent plastic surgeons,
among them are those mainly concerned with reconstruction, burns and/or
hand surgery.
