About Dr Isolde Hertess: Specialist Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, Gold Coast
Dr Isolde Hertess is a female Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon practising on the Gold Coast and in Cairns, with more than 30 years of experience in breast, body, face, and reconstructive surgery.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (FRACS (Plast.)) and holds Specialist Registration in Surgery (Plastic Surgery) with AHPRA. AHPRA Registration: MED0001372020. BSc, MBBS, FRACS (Plast.).
Over three decades in practice, Dr Hertess has developed a particular depth of experience in breast surgery, combining technical precision with a considered, patient-centred approach to each person’s individual circumstances. She has extensive experience in complex revisional cases and is known among her patients for an honest, unhurried, and caring approach to surgical care.
Why Choose Dr Isolde Hertess?
Dr Hertess has practised as a Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon for more than thirty years, with a particular focus on breast and body surgery, including revisional and complex cases. That depth of experience means she can give patients a clear, realistic understanding of what surgery can and cannot achieve for them.
She keeps her practice grounded in current evidence. Dr Hertess attends major plastic surgery conferences in Australia and internationally each year, and was invited to the Mentor Breast Symposium in Bucharest in 2026. She is also a co-author of the UQ Flap, a surgical technique for skin cancer reconstruction developed at the University of Queensland.
Among the procedures she offers is the internal bra technique, an internal support method used to help maintain long-term shape stability in selected breast surgery patients.
Patient safety guides every decision she makes. Dr Hertess operates only in accredited hospitals, works with specialist anaesthetists, and welcomes questions about safety at any point in the process. Her consultations are conducted personally and without rush, with an honest discussion of each patient’s goals and what is realistic for them.
A Female Perspective
Female Specialist Plastic Surgeons remain a minority of the profession in Australia. When Dr Hertess gained her Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, fewer than 2% of plastic surgeons in Australia were women.
For many patients, there is real value in being cared for by an experienced female surgeon. Breast and body procedures are personal by nature, and Dr Hertess brings to them both surgical experience and a genuine understanding of the considerations that matter most to the women she treats, including body image and the comfort of being cared for by another woman.
As a mother of three, Dr Hertess also has a personal understanding of the changes that pregnancy and motherhood bring to the body. For patients considering surgery following childbirth, whether breast or abdominal procedures, this lived experience informs the empathy and practical understanding she brings to each consultation.
Qualifications, Training & Education
Raised in Melbourne, Dr Hertess studied science and medicine concurrently, graduating from the University of Melbourne with both her Bachelor of Science and her medical degree in 1986.
Her postgraduate surgical training spanned eight years, during a period when specialist training positions were scarce, particularly for women. Dr Hertess moved between states securing her plastic surgery training through major teaching hospitals in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
In 1993, she was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the qualification that confers the title Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Australia. In 1994, she founded Cairns Plastic Surgery.
In 2014, she completed the Australian Dermatology Diploma, deepening her sub-specialty work in skin cancer surgery. She is currently undertaking a Master of Medicine in Skin Cancer Medicine at the University of Queensland.
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
Dr Hertess holds active membership of six Australian and international plastic surgery societies. Membership of these organisations supports continuing education, peer review, and adherence to current surgical standards. Each membership can be independently verified through the relevant society directory.
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
- Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- Australian and New Zealand Board of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery (ANZBCPS)
- Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
Arranging a Consultation
A valid referral from a General Practitioner or another specialist medical practitioner is required for every consultation at Dr Hertess Plastic Surgery. This is both a regulatory requirement under Australia’s cosmetic surgery reforms and an important part of ensuring you receive safe, considered care. Full information is available on our Referral page – add link -https://drhertess.com.au/referral/ Consultations are conducted personally by Dr Hertess, in a private and unhurried setting.
Clinic Locations
Gold Coast
Ground Floor, 220 Ashmore Road, Benowa QLD 4217. Phone: (07) 5601 0492. Email: enquiry@drhertess.com.au
Cairns
Level 1, Suite 12A, 193–197 Lake Street, Cairns QLD 4870. Phone: (07) 4031 5755. Email: enquiry@drhertess.com.au
View our Gallery of results See real patient results – performed by Dr Isolde Hertess
