Home 
About the CSAPS History
About the CSAPS History | History |
L-R:
In spite of an increasing public demand, cosmetic surgery was an aspect of plastic surgery that was frowned upon when the CSAPS was founded nearly 30 years ago.Drs. Ken Clarke, the late William Butt, Lloyd Carlsen, Tom Bell, Steve Brady Cosmetic plastic surgery was thought to be frivolous in some medical circles at that time. As a result, Canadian plastic surgeons interested in performing cosmetic plastic surgery were not welcomed in some educational venues nor were they encouraged to present at educational symposiums that were reserved for the discussion of traditional plastic surgery methods. Still, a small group of plastic surgeons, myself included, enjoyed performing cosmetic plastic surgery and were keen on its development. They wanted scientific presentations included in the main body of plastic surgery, but met with resistance from traditional plastic surgery groups and professional bodies. This led to the formation of an independent society in 1972 - The Canadian Society for Aesthetic (Cosmetic) Plastic Surgery. The CSAPS would become a forum for plastic surgeons to meet and discuss exciting new ideas about aesthetic surgery. The initial founding members, Dr. William Butt, Dr. Lloyd Carlsen, Dr. Kenneth Clarke, Dr. John Cornelius, Dr. Paule Regnault and Dr. Theo Wilkie, foresaw the dominant role aesthetic plastic surgery would play in the years that lay ahead. Indeed, in nearly 30 years our society has grown from a small group of 15 to a membership of over 140 today. Our annual meetings and educational symposia are organized so that knowledge and developments in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery can be shared among members. Our goal is to uniquely blend live surgery demonstrations with lectures by world renowned plastic surgeons. As one of the founding members of the CSAPS, it is gratifying for me to see that as a result of our persistence and pioneering efforts, cosmetic plastic surgery in Canada has achieved the status that it has today. Lloyd Carlsen, MD |