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In Germany, plastic surgery means reconstructive and aesthetic operations on the face, breast and body by surgeons with years of specialist training; there is no single price, and the clinic gives an estimate after a consultation. People come to a plastic surgeon with very different requests: one has lived for years with something that gets in the way — an asymmetry, the after-effects of an injury or of cancer surgery — while another wants to change a feature that has long given them no peace. In both cases it matters to know in advance what will really change and what will not. German plastic surgery is built around that clarity: first an honest conversation about what is possible, then the operation.
Plastic surgery in Germany is a broad field, and this page is its entry point: reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, consultation and planning, the main operations, clinics and surgeons, cost and organisation. Individual operations have pages of their own.
Reconstructive and aesthetic surgery
Reconstructive surgery restores form and function, aesthetic surgery changes appearance at the person’s own wish, and the boundary between the two is often blurred. Reconstruction follows injuries, burns and cancer operations or corrects congenital conditions — rebuilding a breast after mastectomy, for example. Yet a single operation often serves both purposes: reducing a very large breast relieves back pain and changes the silhouette at the same time.
Cosmetic surgery in Germany is still genuine surgery with its own risks, not a “beauty procedure”. That is why there is an assessment beforehand, an anaesthetist is in charge of the anaesthesia, and the patient is monitored afterwards — the same routine as in any other branch of surgery.
In Germany, plastic surgery as a specialty combines four fields — reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, hand surgery and burn surgery — which is why a plastic surgeon is also trained in restorative operations. Severe fresh burns are treated in dedicated centres for severely burned patients: Klinikum Nürnberg has one, for example, and BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, with its own burn centre, takes severely injured patients from all over Germany. International patients more often come with the after-effects of burns — tight scars that restrict movement (contractures) and scars on the face and hands. These are corrected with skin grafts, flaps of nearby tissue and laser treatment; the surgeon judges at the examination how much can be improved. One department that brings all four fields together is the Clinic for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Hand Surgery and Burn Medicine at München Klinik Bogenhausen.
Consultation and planning
Every plastic operation starts with an in-person consultation at which the surgeon decides whether it is possible and to what extent. The surgeon examines you, assesses the tissue and your general health, weighs up the indications and contraindications and discusses your expectations. A good specialist also says what cannot be achieved — that matters as much as the discussion of risks.
Many clinics use computer simulation: it helps you picture the likely result and talk about it in concrete terms, but it remains a guide, not a promise. Before the operation the patient receives a detailed explanation and signs a consent form — in Germany this is called Aufklärung. The law requires the doctor to explain, orally and in good time, how the operation is done, its risks and consequences and any alternatives, so that the patient has time to think the decision over. The patient receives copies of everything they sign.
Smoking, high blood pressure, blood thinners and chronic illnesses all affect safety: smoking slows wound healing, and drugs that affect clotting raise the risk of bleeding. That is why the surgeon asks for medical records, a list of medications and test results in advance. You may be asked to stop smoking for several weeks beforehand or, with your own doctor’s agreement, to adjust medication.
Fields: face, breast, body
Plastic surgeons work on three broad areas: the face, the breast and the body. On the face, the best-known operation is the face lift: it lifts sagging tissue in the cheeks and neck, but it does not smooth the fine lines around the mouth and eyes, and it does not stop ageing — it only postpones its signs. Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) removes drooping skin and bags under the eyes. Rhinoplasty changes the shape of the nose, and the surgeon also checks whether anything is obstructing breathing. Otoplasty corrects protruding ears, and chin surgery brings the profile into better proportion.
Breast operations include enlargement, reduction and lifting. The breast is enlarged with silicone implants or with the patient’s own fat (lipofilling), and each method has its own indications and limits. Reduction is more often done for medical reasons than for looks: a very large breast strains the spine and causes back pain and skin problems. A lift restores the shape of a breast that has dropped after pregnancy, breastfeeding or major weight loss; more on the page on breast surgery in Munich.
A separate task is rebuilding the breast after it has been removed because of cancer. Here the plastic surgeon works together with the oncologists: the method and timing of reconstruction are agreed with the treatment plan, and restoring the shape becomes part of returning to normal life. The breast can be rebuilt with an implant or with the patient’s own tissue — immediately, in the same operation as the removal, or later, once healing and any further treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy are complete. Men can also develop enlarged breast tissue (gynaecomastia): sometimes monitoring is enough, and where necessary the excess tissue is removed surgically.
On the body, the main operation is liposuction, and it corrects contour, not weight: it is not a way of losing weight or a treatment for obesity, but a correction of local fat deposits that do not respond to diet or exercise. The fat is removed by gentle methods — using a water jet, laser or ultrasound, among others — and the patient’s own fat is sometimes used straight away to reshape another area. A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes stretched skin after major weight loss or pregnancy. Lipoedema is a separate medical reason for liposuction: a painful, symmetrical build-up of fat on the legs, sometimes also the arms, which affects almost only women and does not go with weight loss.
How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon in Germany
The name on the door says little: what matters when choosing a plastic surgeon in Germany is qualification. A list of clinics is on the page on plastic surgery clinics in Germany. The key credential is the title “Facharzt für Plastische und Ästhetische Chirurgie” — under the newer rules it reads “Facharzt für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie”, and older surgeons may hold the earlier “Facharzt für Plastische Chirurgie”. It is awarded to a doctor who, after medical school, has spent six years training specifically in plastic surgery, across all four of its fields, and has passed an exam at the regional medical chamber. Terms such as “cosmetic surgeon” or “aesthetic surgeon” are not protected in Germany: any doctor may use them, and they say nothing about training. Membership of the German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (DGPRÄC) is an additional pointer; the society’s website offers patient advice on choosing a plastic surgeon.
Among the clinics AlenMed works with is Villa Bella clinic in Munich, a small specialist clinic where only plastic surgeons operate. Since 2007 it has been led by Dr Ludger Meyer-Dobbelstein, a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery and a full member of DGPRÄC, whose focus is aesthetic breast and face surgery, reconstructive surgery and laser treatments. ISAR Klinikum in central Munich has a department of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
At Diakonie-Klinikum Stuttgart, Prof. Frank Werdin is chief physician of aesthetic and plastic surgery and hand surgery, and also the hospital’s senior medical director. At Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart, plastic and aesthetic surgery is led by Dr Ulrich E. Ziegler. At Klinik Josephinum in Munich, Prof. C. Taeger works in plastic surgery and lymphatic surgery. A surgeon is chosen for the specific operation: what counts is how often they perform it and what results they can show. German plastic surgery is organised around specialists, not brands.
What the cost is made of
There is no single price for a plastic operation: the total is made up of the consultation, the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees, the hospital stay, materials such as implants, compression garments and follow-up visits. Doctors’ fees are calculated under the German fee schedule GOÄ — the official list of medical services for private patients, in which each service has a base rate and the doctor applies a multiplier depending on how complex the case is. Aesthetic operations without a medical indication are paid for by the patient and are subject to VAT; treatment with a medical indication, such as reconstruction after an injury, is exempt from it.
The clinic gives an exact estimate after a consultation or after reviewing photos and medical records — until then any figure is guesswork. Guide figures for individual operations are on the page on the cost of plastic surgery.
Frequently asked questions
Does Germany have good plastic surgeons?
Yes: in Germany plastic surgery is a specialty in its own right, with years of training and an exam at the medical chamber, and it covers reconstructive, hand and burn surgery as well as aesthetic operations. Such surgeons work in large hospital departments and in private clinics. The mark of qualification is the title Facharzt für Plastische und Ästhetische Chirurgie, with DGPRÄC membership as an additional signal; both can be checked before you book a consultation.
What is the best country to go to for plastic surgery?
There is no best country for everyone: the right one is where you can calmly complete the whole journey — consultation, operation and the first follow-up visits. Find out in advance how long you must stay, who will look after you at home and which language you will speak with the surgeon. A low price loses its point if a complication has to be handled at home without contact with the surgeon.
Where is plastic surgery most developed?
There is no single answer: strong plastic surgeons work in many countries, and no recognised ranking of countries exists. It is more useful to ask how the specialty is organised: whether the title of plastic surgeon is protected, how long training lasts and whether doctors must explain the risks in advance. In Germany the title is protected, training takes years and covers reconstructive, hand and burn surgery, and explaining the risks is a legal duty.
Who are the best plastic surgeons in Germany?
There is no list of the best: no overall ranking exists, and a strong rhinoplasty specialist is not necessarily the right choice for breast reconstruction. Choose by three signs instead: the title Facharzt für Plastische und Ästhetische Chirurgie or its newer form with Rekonstruktive, DGPRÄC membership and experience with exactly the operation you need. Ask at the consultation how often the surgeon performs it and ask to see results — a good specialist expects such questions.
How AlenMed arranges plastic surgery in Germany
We pass your wishes, photos and medical information to the surgeon and obtain a preliminary assessment and estimate; the final plan is made only after an in-person examination.
We book the consultation, arrange the visa invitation, provide an interpreter and find accommodation near the clinic. The stay is planned with time for the first follow-up visits, and the surgeon decides when it is safe to fly home. AlenMed’s office is in Munich; partner clinics are all over Germany.
This material is for information only and is not an offer. Whether an operation is possible, what it will involve and what it will achieve are determined by the doctor at an in-person consultation.