Dr Rodrigo Teixeira - Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Melbourne
Dr Rodrigo Teixeira is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Melbourne with a practice focused on facelift surgery, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and related facial procedures. His work brings together aesthetic and reconstructive experience, with an approach centred on careful assessment, anatomical diagnosis, and treatment planning tailored to the individual.
Experience, Anatomy, and an Individualised Approach
Dr Teixeira’s practice focuses on facial plastic surgery, with particular interest in facelift surgery, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and related facial procedures. His work is grounded in experience across both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, which has shaped a careful approach to facial assessment, surgical planning, and long-term structural preservation.
In facial surgery, visible concerns are not assessed in isolation. Facial balance, skeletal support, soft tissue position, skin quality, movement, and function may all influence what is seen clinically and how treatment should be planned. This is why experience and judgement matter alongside technical knowledge. Not all faces age in the same way, and not every patient requires the same procedure or the same surgical plan.
For patients, this means recommendations are based on what is appropriate to the individual, not simply on the procedure initially requested. In some cases, surgery may be appropriate. In others, a different procedure, a staged plan, or no surgery may be the more appropriate recommendation.
Why He Chose Plastic Surgery
Dr Teixeira’s interest in plastic surgery began early in his medical training in Brazil, when he observed a reconstructive operation that inspired the kind of surgeon he wanted to become. He was drawn to the combination of anatomy, technical precision, judgement, and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference through surgery.
That early experience led to a long training pathway across reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery, first in Brazil and later in Australia. Throughout that journey, his interest remained closely connected to facial surgery, where appearance, structure, and function often need to be considered together.
Training, Qualifications, and Professional Background
Graduation and Specialist Training
Dr Teixeira graduated from the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo in Brazil, where he also completed his early medical and surgical training. He later undertook accredited plastic surgery training through the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery before moving to Melbourne for further fellowship training.
Fellowship Training
His fellowship training in Australia included advanced aesthetic plastic surgery, craniofacial and cleft surgery, paediatric plastic surgery, and burns. He subsequently achieved Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, adding Australian specialist recognition to his earlier plastic surgery qualification in Brazil.
A Reconstructive Foundation in Facial Surgery
After further work in Brazil, including treatment of cleft lip and palate, primary and secondary rhinoplasty, facial clefts, and other complex facial anomalies, he returned to Melbourne and now works across both private and public practice. This breadth of training and experience continues to shape his perspective in facial surgery, where careful planning often depends on understanding both aesthetic goals and reconstructive principles.
Surgical Approach and Philosophy
Dr Teixeira’s surgical approach is based on careful assessment, anatomical diagnosis, and clinical judgement. In facial surgery, the visible concern is not always the primary problem. Bone, cartilage, soft tissue support, skin quality, movement, and function may all contribute to what is seen and to what treatment, if any, is appropriate.
His philosophy is to understand the underlying anatomy first, then plan surgery in a way that respects structural integrity, facial balance, and function. This often means thinking in layers and recognising that not all concerns are best addressed in the same way. His reconstructive background continues to influence this approach and reinforces the importance of preservation, proportion, and restraint.
For patients, this means treatment recommendations are guided by what is appropriate, not simply by what is possible. The aim is not to overcorrect or impose a standardised result, but to recommend a treatment plan that is proportionate, considered, and tailored to the individual.
Teaching, Anatomy Education, and Public Hospital Roles
MAFAC and Advanced Facial Anatomy Teaching
A significant part of Dr Teixeira’s professional work is teaching anatomy and applying it to aesthetic practice. He is a faculty member of the Mendelson Advanced Facial Anatomy Course (MAFAC), where advanced facial anatomy is taught in a surgical context. This reflects a core part of his practice philosophy: everything in facial surgery ultimately comes back to anatomy. With a background in plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery, he brings a detailed understanding of facial structure, support, movement, and tissue layers to both teaching and clinical practice.
Teaching Roles and Public Hospital Work
Dr Teixeira is also a faculty member of the ASAPS Anatomy for Injectors (AFI) workshop and remains actively involved in public hospital work, surgical education, and academic teaching in Melbourne. He continues reconstructive facial surgery work at The Royal Children’s Hospital and teaching involvement through the University of Melbourne. He previously served as Head of the Plastic Surgery Unit at Northern Health.
Qualifications and Registration
Qualifications
- Medical Degree and Internship, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brazil
- Specialist Plastic Surgeon, Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP)
- Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS), Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Registration
- AHPRA MED0001650480
Registered Medical Practitioner
Specialist registration in Surgery – Plastic Surgery
Professional Associations
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
- Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS)
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
