A surgical service, reached by referral
Plastic surgery at DermCare is a specialty referral for surgical assessment. A family physician, nurse practitioner or specialist faxes the referral to 905 625 5650, marked for plastic surgery, and it is triaged to the plastic surgery service rather than to dermatology. The patient is then contacted directly to book a consultation with one of the surgeons, and a consultation report goes back to the referring office after the visit.
Fax the referral, marked for plastic surgery
Use the DermCare referral form and tick plastic surgery, or write "Plastic surgery" at the top of your own referral letter. See referring for plastic surgery.
The referral is triaged to the plastic surgery service
Marking the referral is what routes it to the surgeons rather than to the dermatology list.
The patient sees one of the surgeons
Our office calls the patient to book a consultation with one of the surgeons.
A consultation report comes back to you
A written report is returned to the referring office after the visit, and to the primary care provider where that is a different physician.
The surgeons
Plastic surgery at DermCare is provided by two surgeons, both Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC) and both registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
More on the surgeons and how a CPSO registration can be checked.
Assessment and consultation
A referral to the plastic surgery service leads to a consultation with one of the surgeons. The surgeon takes a history, examines the area of concern, reviews the patient's general health and current medications, and discusses what can reasonably be achieved. If a procedure is appropriate, it is explained in full beforehand: what it involves, what recovery is likely to be like, and what the risks are. Nothing is arranged until the patient has had the chance to ask questions. If you would like to know whether a particular procedure is available before a referral is sent, call 905 625 5600.
Coverage
Coverage depends on the procedure and the reason for it. Some plastic surgery is insured by OHIP and some is paid for privately. Where a service is not insured, the fee is explained to the patient before anything is done and the patient is free to decline. See private services.
Plastic surgery or skin surgery?
These are two separate services at DermCare, and they are reached in two different ways.
Skin surgery and biopsy is dermatology work performed in clinic under local anaesthetic: biopsy to establish a diagnosis, excision of skin cancers and suspicious lesions, and cryotherapy. If the question is about a lesion, that is the referral to send.
Plastic surgery is a distinct specialty referral for surgical assessment by one of the surgeons named above. If you are not certain which service a patient needs, send the referral to DermCare and it will be triaged to the appropriate one.