Associate Professor Peter Haertsch

Associate Professor Peter Haertsch AM MBBS FRACS FRCS(Ed), is a specialist reconstructive plastic surgeon, and the owner and medical director of Cosmos Clinic.

Qualifications and Achievements

Beginning his medical journey in Australia at Sydney University, A-Prof. Peter Haertsch continued his passion for education and extensive training as a General Surgeon in Edinburgh, Scotland. His quest for knowledge led him on to England and the United States of America, to further his qualifications and to dedicate himself to specialist training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

A compassionate and dedicated plastic surgeon, A-Prof. Peter Haertsch is responsible for regenerating the Burns Unit of Concord Repatriation General Hospital, and undertakes a variety of cosmetic, reconstructive, hand and therapeutic surgery, and has an interest in gender reassignment procedures at Wollongong Hospital. He has been a member of the Burns Unit Team at Concord for 40 years, most recently as a director, and is also currently the Head of Department at Wollongong Hospital in NSW.

Awards and Honours

Associate Professor Dr Peter Haertsch was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2003 for his work treating the Bali bombing victims. He was further awarded a Member in the General Division (AM) in 2018, for significant services to medicine in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, as a clinician, administrator, and to the advancement of medical education.

Academic Contributions

Associate Professor Peter Haertsch AM MBBS FRACS FRCS(Ed) has significantly contributed to plastic surgery literature, particularly in the area of burns. He is a member of the faculty of the John Boswick Burn Care and Wound Healing Group based in Maui, Hawaii. Dr Haertsch’s commitment to global healthcare is evident in his 24-hour on-call consultative service for burns to the French Government in New Caledonia.

Volunteer Work and Giving Back

Beyond his professional working life, Assoc Prof Peter Haertsch is passionate and dedicated towards a life-long commitment to volunteer service. He has made over 40 trips with Interplast, a voluntary organisation that treats children with congenital deformities in developing countries. His voluntary work has spanned across the globe in Tanzania, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the South Pacific Islands.