ASPS Celebrates Guest National Societies of Latin America

As part of our ongoing commitment to advance plastic surgery around the world, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is excited to announce the expansion of Guest Nation to the new Guest National Societies initiative. We are honored to showcase Latin America as our region at Plastic Surgery The Meeting 2023. The Guest National Societies of Latin America include:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Guatemala
• Mexico
• Peru
• Venezuela

In addition to recognition during opening ceremonies, Guest National Societies will also receive discounted meeting registration for all members or presenters of the regional societies.

Argentina — Sociedad Argentina de Cirugía Plástica, Estética y Reparadora (SACPER)

Edgardo Bisquert, MD , President

ASPS Global Partner since 2015

In the world, plastic surgery was developed during the First World War, in England, France, Germany, and the United States, where the first specialized training centers and the first texts on the subject appeared. Those centers were attended by surgeons from around the world that wanted to learn the new specialty. A small group of selected plastic surgeons in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, among other countries, met in São Paulo, in 1940, and organized the Latin American Society of Plastic Surgery.

The first Latin American Congress of Plastic Surgery in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo followed in 1941. Attendees included Argentine surgeons Dr. Ernesto Malbec (Buenos Aires) and Dr. Lelio Zeno (Rosario). The 2nd Latin American Congress was held in 1942, in Buenos Aires and in Rosario, and created a significant boost to the specialty in Argentina.

Argentina was the home of a small number of specialists up to the 1940s, and the publication of their findings were largely limited to general medical journals or the bulletin of the Argentine Society of Surgeons. "Clinical rounds" by plastic surgeons, in the few hospitals that included one, began in Argentina in 1949. Complex cases were discussed with great interest, allowing professionals to compare and add opinions of medical diagnosis and treatment; that was the beginning of the teaching of the specialty in Argentina.

The clinical rounds showed great practical utility, and gained importance with the years. An initiative by Dr. Héctor Marino for the establishment of a professional association of Argentine plastic surgeons led to two meetings on the subject: in late 1951 and early 1952. The Argentine Society of Plastic Surgery was established on March 24, 1952.[1] An interim steering committee of 14 members was formed, and Doctors José C. Viñas and Alberto Beaux drafted the charter.

Brazil — Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (SBCP)

Lydia Masako Ferreira, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2010

Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery was founded in 1948, in São Paulo, with the objective of promoting and improving the study of plastic surgery in Brazil. Today, the SBCP is made up of approximately 6,700 plastic surgeons, including holders, associates and aspiring members.

To join the SBCP, applicants must be a physician with a three-year specialization in general surgery, three years of plastic surgery in a service accredited by the SBCP and/or MEC, and pass a written and oral test.

The Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery has its national headquarters in São Paulo and 21 regional offices in 20 capitals of the country.

SBCP directors are elected by member votes for a two-year administrative term. Periodically, scientific meetings are held where associates can update their scientific knowledge. SBCP leaders include renowned plastic surgeons from the Brazilian and world medical scene, bringing progress, pride and respect to the members of our specialty.

Chile — Sociedad Chilena de Cirugia Plastica Reconstructiva y Estetica (SCCP)

Alejandro Conegero, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2021

The Chilean Society of Plastic Surgery (SCCP) is a non-profit scientific medical group that ensures the quality of training, certification and care of plastic surgeons in Chile. It is made up of more than 150 plastic surgeons, all accredited and/or certified in the country or abroad with their titles approved in the country.

SCCP's mission is to allow all patients to identify and choose the most suitable scientifically and ethically qualified professionals, when opting for aesthetic or reconstructive plastic surgery.

It also provides updating and permanent medical education to its members with the latest in world plastic surgery, through monthly scientific meetings, courses and congresses.

Colombia — Sociedad Colombiana de Cirugía Plástica Estética y Reconstructiva (SCCP)

Maria Isabel Cadena, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2017

The illusions and hopes of many people who resort to the aesthetic procedures offered by this specialty of medicine are placed in the hands of a plastic surgeon.

For this reason, the Colombian Society of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (SCCP), in compliance with its missionary objective, spares no effort in strengthening the continuous medical education of its members in order to enhance the talent, skills and professionalism of the surgeons in this branch.

When undergoing surgical interventions of an aesthetic or reconstructive plastic nature, the SCCP recommends taking into account, among others, the following guidelines:

• Specialist: The patient must make sure that the specialist who will treat them can demonstrate professional suitability. That accredits the respective academic training and experience. A specialist in plastic surgery or with skills in certain areas of this branch of medicine.
• Clinic: The place where the surgical procedure will be performed must have authorization from the territorial health entity (Secretary of Health, Administrative Department of Health, Territorial Health Directorate).
• The Patient: Must necessarily submit to all previous examinations, physical and mental check-ups. Keep in mind that after this surgical intervention, a lot of special care is required, therefore; you must be meticulous and responsible with this type of care.
• Surgical Plan: Each patient has individual characteristics so the organisms are different. Therefore, you must plan step by step what is related to these surgeries, according to their special characteristics; and study all aspects related to the patient's health and the standards established by public health.

Costa Rica — Asociación de Médicos Especialistas en Cirugía Plástica Reconstructiva y Estética (AMECPRE)

Ronald Pino, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2021

The Association of Medical Specialists in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery is the appropriate place to find plastic surgeons who have received rigorous and extensive training and who have an ethical background that qualifies them to perform these interventions. All surgeons’ members of the association have at least 13 years of medical studies.

Dominican Republic — Sociedad Dominicana Cirugia Plastica Reconstructiva Y Estetica, Inc. (SODOCIPRE)

Sergio Guzmán Padilla, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2021

In the first decades of the 20th century in the Dominican Republic, reconstructive surgery services were attended by excellent general surgeons, traumatologists, and maxillofacial surgeons, who provided their services in different general hospitals and in the children's hospital. In 1927, Dr. Marcial Martínez Larre made the first report of a cleft lip case studied and repaired by this Dominican doctor.

In the mid-1940s, the first specialists in reconstructive surgery began to arrive in the country, among others, Drs. Raúl Tavares and Carlos Doshe, who had training in reconstructive surgery and who performed cleft lip and palate repair procedures, burn treatments, hand surgery, and reconstruction of different areas of the body with flaps.

In the 1960s and 1970s, specialists with full training in recognized schools of plastic and reconstructive surgery such as Drs. Ivanhoe Báez Comme (1969), Abreu Capellán (1970) and Luis Francisco Espaillat Moya (1972) undertook the arduous task of disseminating and raising awareness among the medical class and the general population about the advances in this ancient discipline of medicine, which was practically a novelty in our country, thus beginning an important stage in plastic surgery from the Dominican Republic.

Ecuador — Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Cirugía Plástica, Reconstructiva y Estética (SECPRE)

Nora Menendez, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2023

SECPRE, Ecuadorian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, is a scientific society that brings together specialists in plastic surgery who have deserved to be part of it due to their merits in terms of training, knowledge, experience and ethics.

Founded in 1969 with the aim of providing optimal quality care to patients and offering the highest levels of professionalism.

Guatemala — Asociacion de Cirujanos Plasticos, Esteticos y Reconstructivos de Guatemala (ACPERG)

Luis Montenegro, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2023

The Association of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Guatemala (ACPERG), is a non-profit scientific association, whose main objective is to ensure the professional quality of its associates, their ethical and moral principles, correct performance and adequate education to offer the Guatemalan population very high-level professional services.

The Association of Plastic Surgery of Guatemala is recognized and endorsed by the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Guatemala, the Ibero-Latin American Federation of Plastic Surgery (FILACP), the International Confederation of Plastic Surgery Societies (ICOPLAST), which makes it the only body representing plastic surgery in our country. The association guarantees support and professional training, which is important due to the large number of doctors with inadequate training in this area, who perform surgical procedures without being duly accredited as plastic surgeons.

The selection of our members is careful and meticulous, evaluating above all the quality of the international training of each one, focused on the integrality of plastic surgery, both in the reconstructive and aesthetic aspects.

Currently, the Association of Plastic Surgery of Guatemala works tirelessly to provide its associates with resources that allow them to stay at the forefront of surgery, permanently organizing education and updating events in order to maintain the highest standards in ethics, safety and responsibility in Guatemala as since its inception in 1964.

Mexico — Asociación Mexicana de Cirugia Plástica, Estética y Reconstructiva (AMCPER)

Bertha Torres Gómez, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2016

The Mexican Association of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, AC is the body that brings together all certified plastic surgeons in the country. Its main function is to promote the academic growth and continuous medical education of its members by organizing refresher courses, national and international congresses, workshops, among others.

The academic demand and the desire for constant improvement of the members of the AMCPER are two of the factors thanks to which Mexican plastic surgery has positioned itself for years as one of the three most recognized worldwide.

Peru — Peruvian Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Society (SPCPRE)

Guillermo Wiegering Cecchi, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2021

SPCPRE represents professionals adequately prepared to practice the art of plastic surgery with the responsibility and respect that this requires. The Peruvian Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Society is one of the scientific societies with the highest participation of all certified professionals in our specialty. We invite all certified and registered plastic surgeons in the CMP to join us. Our institution must grow and continue to be as representative as possible.

We constantly ensure the continuing education of our members and their necessary participation in national and international courses, congresses and webinars. We also collect first-hand information regarding the latest techniques and protocols in our specialty.

We will fight, through an alliance with the already existing committee of the CMP, the intrusion and illegal practice of medicine. It is crucial to maintain the good name of Peruvian plastic surgery and position it as an international benchmark, with our members, good practices, continuing education, participation and organization of international events (such as achieving the realization of the 1st ICOPLAST World Congress here, in the Peru, in May 2022) will bring us closer to it.

Venezuela — Sociedad Venezolana de Cirugía Plástica, Reconstructive, Estetica y Maxillofacial (SVCPREM)

Gladys Chow Lee, MD, President

ASPS Global Partner since 2019

The SVCPREM is a non-profit scientific society, whose main objective is to increase the study and dissemination of plastic surgery in Venezuela, as well as to ensure its ethical principles.

The SVCPREM is recognized and endorsed by the Venezuelan Medical Federation, which makes it the only body representing plastic surgery in our country. Being a member of this society guarantees support and professional training. This is particularly important due to the large number of doctors with inadequate training in this area, who dare to perform surgical procedures without being duly accredited as plastic surgeons.