'Best job in the world': The Newcastle plastic surgeon who's changed thousands of lives

If it weren't for a schoolboy football accident, one of Newcastle's most experienced and dedicated plastic surgeons may instead have spent his life flying passenger jets.

Born and bred in Newcastle, Dr John Newton's first plan after high school was to become a Qantas pilot.

But a rugby ball to the face had injured his eye and the Qantas recruitment department rejected the teenage Newton's application.

"I had a blind spot in the middle of my eye as a result of having a football smack me in the face," recalls Dr Newton from his Warners Bay practice, Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.

"The doctors said it would eventually recover but Qantas said, 'No you have a blind spot in one eye. You can't be a pilot'.

"I was disappointed. But I thought about it and decided to study medicine; my father was a dentist and one of my uncles was a surgeon."

It was a twist of fate that has delivered life-changing benefits to many thousands of Dr Newton's patients, and a lot of joy and job satisfaction for him, over his thirty-plus years as a plastic surgeon.

"It was very fortunate for me I had that blind spot," he said.

"My eye recovered with the result of better vision than before, and I've ended up with what's been the best job in the world.

"There is so much satisfaction in being able to help someone in the way I have been able to. I'm excited, delighted and thrilled for my patients. I love to see their faces."

The numbers of surgeries are astounding. Operating as both a reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgeon, Dr Newton has performed more than 100,000 surgical procedures in his career.

Along with thousands of procedures for skin cancer, congenital deformities such as cleft palates, and scars, he has done more than 10,000 breast surgeries, more than 1500 ear reductions, 740-plus rhinoplasties, and 800-plus abdominoplasties.

As well, through his work with not-for-profit organisation Interplast, Dr Newton has helped hundreds more in countries around the Asia Pacific region, particularly children. Interplast brings qualified plastic surgeons to underdeveloped regions for reconstructive procedures, which people there would otherwise not be able to access.

His initial trip with Interplast was to Manila in the Philippines. He was the first ever Australian Interplast surgeon. He repaired the cleft palates of 30 children on that trip, and went on to do 12 more Interplast trips to a variety of Pacific island locations.

Dr Newton's path to becoming a surgeon began at Sydney University where he received his degree in medicine before returning to Newcastle to work as a junior medical officer at the Royal Newcastle Hospital and complete his general surgical training.

During that time he was exposed to the field of plastic surgery and was instantly drawn to it.

"I was performing a very broad spectrum of work, but plastic surgery was what really fascinated me," said Dr Newton.

His plastic surgery training continued in Melbourne before receiving a fellowship to train in London for 18 months at the Mount Vernon Plastic Surgery unit. At the time it was one of the city's leading plastic surgery hospitals with a facility that included London's largest burns unit.

He was part of a team of surgeons at Mount Vernon that had a waiting list of thousands of patients requiring plastic surgery procedures.

"The waiting list had a variety of plastic surgeries including reconstructive procedures and cosmetic work as well so it was an excellent place for training," he said.

After his training in London was completed, Dr Newton couldn't wait to head home to Newcastle.

Among his many milestones in Newcastle, he became the first full-time staff specialist plastic surgeon in an public hospital in Australia, performed the region's first free vascularised breast reconstruction, and helped set up the city's first hand surgery unit. One of the more high profile procedures he performed was Newcastle's first toe-to-thumb transfer for one local man.

"I only ever wanted to come home to Newcastle and the Hunter area, and use the skills that I'd learned to be able to help people here," Dr Newton said.

"I'd had the most fantastic training here in Newcastle. During my surgical training, my mentors were superb surgeons, both as technicians and physicians, and I really believe I have them to thank for my surgical skills and my approach and attitude to working as a doctor.

"I enjoy my work so much. I enjoy the patients, I enjoy the operating theatre, and I receive a huge amount of positive feedback from doing what I do. It is incredibly rewarding."

As well as looking after patients, Dr Newton has regularly presented papers on surgical technique to the professional peak body for plastic surgeons who perform cosmetic surgery, the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS).

He's also honorary secretary of ASAPS and has been active in its work lobbying for greater regulation in the cosmetic surgery field to protect patients.

This is sponsored content for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.