CAPS Clinic – Providing the Full Spectrum of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Options

Dr Alastair Taylor is a highly qualified and respected plastic surgeon who started the Canberra Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic, CAPS, in 1998. It grew very quickly, and soon in addition to offering only surgical services it began providing a range of non-surgical treatments as well.

The rationale behind offering non-surgical services was that the laser treatments being offered by some clinics were of poor quality and in many cases resulted in burns, scarring and permanent disabilities. After conducting detailed research into the subject, CAPS purchased its first laser, a LightSheer, and began offering its services.

These non-surgical services were by nurses recruited by CAPS Clinic. But it was immediately apparent that the training offered by industry was lacking and that the nurses using the laser required further qualifications. As a result, the CAPS Clinic sponsored one of its staff, a beauty therapist, to study at Victoria University for the Bachelor in Health Science, Dermal Therapies, qualification. Upon completing this course, she became the CAPS Clinic’s first dermal therapist.

Subsequently, the company has sponsored two additional personnel for this course and is planning to sponsor one more. As a result, there will soon be a total of four dermal clinicians with specialised knowledge on the clinic’s staff and this will lead to an increase in the number of non-surgical treatments being done.

With the exponential increase in the number of skin cancer cases, a separate skin cancer unit was established. This too, quickly earned a reputation for offering highly effective treatment and resulted in a great increase in the number of patients being treated by CAPS Clinic.

Dr Taylor qualified as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in 1997 obtaining a FRACS, ASPS and ASAPS membership. Over the years, in addition to the demand for plastic surgery, there was a boom in non-surgical skin care treatments, such as laser hair removal and injectables. The CAPS Clinic expanded very successfully into this area too.

Cheryl Taylor is the CEO of CAPS Clinic and has been with the organisation since its inception 17 years ago. She says, “We have a philosophy here that all of our non-surgical services have to meet. One is, does it work? If it doesn’t work we don’t want to know about it.
“Secondly, is it cost-effective? Does the cost the patient have to pay equate to the level of improvement that they are going to get. If it is not going to be a cost-effective treatment, we are really not interested in it. And the third thing is, does it negate future surgical options for a patient?

“For example we don’t do an ablative laser here because what we have learnt is that ablative laser can tend to cause premature aging of the skin. The skin looks good when it is done but long term the skin is weakened.

“I am not talking about a couple of years, I’m talking 10 to 20 years. We find that the technologies that we have and the way we use them along with good quality cosmeceuticals can do just as much, if not more than ablative laser. So we don’t have ablative lasers here.”

CAPS Clinic offers a range of services that include:

Sole’ vita surgery

The CAPS Clinic offers plastic surgery in a number of areas that include breast implants, tummy tucks, neck lifts and brow lifts. Sole’ vita surgery is part of the CAPS clinic, a licensed and accredited medical hospital providing state-of-the-art surgical facilities and healthcare.

The hospital houses a maximum of five patients at a time and its patient-to-nursing ratio is the best in the country. Sole’ vita is accredited under the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS), with patient areas designed to ensure maximum comfort for both patients and their families.

The recovery areas and overnight rooms feature flexible privacy glass panelling and personal ensuite. The hospital has the most modern and well-equipped surgical theatres, sterilisation services of the highest quality and the entire range of facilities for patient safety.

At Sole’ vita, a patient gets access to a level of care, confidentiality and professionalism that is not available in other hospitals offering this service.

My Genesis Skin Care

Cheryl Taylor says, “I think a clinic offering plastic surgery needs to offer patients a non-surgical option simply because sometimes patients come to us who are not suitable for surgery.

“They are too young and should not be having surgery. So if all you offer you is surgery and you say no, then they will turn around and go down the street to someone who will offer surgery and probably not responsibly. So our non-surgical practice meets that need.”

My Genesis skin care clinic has the best facilities in Canberra and offers the full range of dermal therapy treatments. All the procedures are non-surgical and treatment is available for improving the texture, tone, firmness and overall health of a person’s skin. Facilities for the removal of hair and visible veins is also a part of the dermal therapy available.

The clinic has highly trained and competent dermal clinicians who provide treatment using laser and light therapy. They have a deep understanding of the different ingredients used in the skin-care process and the reaction each causes.

They are aware that they are not dermatologists and in the event that they come across a client who requires treatment which they are not capable or qualified to give, they provide a referral to the appropriate specialist.

FrostedAway fat reduction

Clients can also avail of FrostedAway technology powered by Coolsculpting to remove fat cells that lie under the skin. This technique has been developed by Harvard scientists and consists of using a targeted cooling process by which fat cells are killed.

The healthy skin cells remain unaffected and the treatment does not involve an extraction process. The procedure also does not use any needles and the dead fat cells are naturally eliminated.

It is widely known and accepted that when the CAPS clinic adopts a technology, it has already been tried and tested thoroughly. Dr Taylor and his team ensure that any treatment they offer meets the highest standards of safety and effectiveness. It is for this reason that most of the clients are referred by word of mouth and the clinic has very loyal patients who refer their friends and family.

The clinic also has a strong website with a large amount of educational material. The management is of the view that it is important for patients to fully understand the procedures followed for their treatment.

360uv Skin Cancer Clinic

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and this malady accounts for 80% of newly diagnosed cancers in the country. 360uv Skin Cancer Clinic is the most comprehensive and professionally managed skin cancer clinic in Canberra offering the entire range of treatments and checks.

The clinic specialises in skin cancer checks and arranges non-invasive management of the lesion or, if required, surgical excision.

360uv Skin Cancer Clinic has great expertise in detecting and treating melanoma, the least common but most dangerous form of skin cancer. The clinic has a team of GPs and specialists under the leadership of Dr Alastair Taylor, who are trained in the removal of the melanoma.

The clinic has also gained expertise in the prevention of skin cancer.
Strong relationship with suppliers

The CAPS Clinic uses the most technologically advanced and reputed equipment for treating its patients. In fact, Dr Alastair Taylor is not an early adopter of technology. When a company launches a new product, the CAPS Clinic first observes how it is doing in the market and the results that it produces.

Only if it is fully satisfied with the product’s efficacy and safety does it go ahead and acquire the new product and use it for the treatment of its patients.

Cheryl Taylor says, “We have been working with our skin care company, Advanced Skin Technology, since we introduced skin care back in 1999, the year after we started practice. They have grown and developed and met the market at a number of different levels as the industry has matured. That has been a really good relationship for us.

“We use Cutera lasers and they have been a great solid force in the laser industry. They have been really good to us.

The best hair removal machines are available from Lumenis. The LightSheer is the gold standard for hair removal for the last 15 years, in my opinion.”

Offering patients a range of options

The CAPS Clinic’s patients range from students with acne to women in their fifties who have never looked after their skin and now want to rejuvenate it. Patients are offered a balance of non-surgical and surgical options, giving them a choice of the various treatments available to them.

It is the policy of the clinic to advise a patient that, say, a 25% improvement would be available if they adopt a certain treatment, 50% if they undergo a particular procedure and that even an 80% to 90% improvement is possible if they go down the surgical path. The decision is left entirely up to the patient.

The CAPS Clinic prides itself on providing a unique service to its patients while maintaining the highest standards of safety and professionalism.