01Article · Patient autonomy
My body,
my choice.
Cosmetic medicine sits at an unusual intersection — clinical care, deeply personal motivation, and a wider cultural conversation about bodies and consent. This is a short note about what patient autonomy means inside the consulting room, and how a careful consultation can support it rather than override it.
02In short
Patient autonomy in cosmetic medicine means the decision is always yours, while the doctor's role is to support you in making it well. Informed consent is treated as an ongoing conversation rather than a form signed on the day, built around the Medical Board of Australia's required written reflection period. This article sets out what that looks like in practice, plus five small preparations worth bringing to any consultation.
03Inside the consulting room
The decision is yours —
and the work is shared.
Almost every patient who considers a cosmetic procedure brings a long quiet list of questions with them. Do I need this? Have I thought about it for long enough? Who is the right person to talk to first? Will I be looked after afterwards? Will it affect things I care about — breastfeeding, work, sleep, the way I move? These are reasonable questions and they deserve unhurried answers.
The phrase my body, my choice belongs to a wider conversation about bodily autonomy. Inside a consultation room, it has a more practical meaning. The decision is yours. The work of supporting you to make it well — explaining what is involved, what the inherent risks and complications are, what realistic outcomes look like, and when it is wiser not to proceed — is shared with the doctor and the team around them.
More on the potential risks of cosmetic procedures is available on our risks page, and a guide to the consultation process walks through how appointments are usually structured.
— Dr Kishen Nara, RevAesthetic.
04Informed consent
Consent is a process —
not a signature.
Informed consent is sometimes treated as a single moment — a form to sign at the end of a consultation. In practice, it is the entire conversation. It is the explanation of the procedure, the discussion of inherent risks and complications, the realistic conversation about what the outcome can and cannot be, the time to think it through, and the freedom to change your mind without consequence.
The Medical Board of Australia has built a written reflection period into cosmetic surgical care precisely because consent benefits from time. Rapid decisions, and rapid clinics, work against that. A doctor who is comfortable with you saying not yet or not at all is a good sign.
05Five quiet preparations
What to bring —
to a consultation.
These are the small preparations that some patients say they wish they had known about earlier. They are not a checklist; they are a way of arriving as yourself.
- 01Write down three issues that concern you, three things you would like to understand better, and three questions you want answered.
- 02Bring a fitted top or shirt to a consultation — clothing helps locate the conversation in your day-to-day life.
- 03Bring a trusted person if that is helpful — a friend, partner or family member. The team can also chaperone if you prefer.
- 04Allow yourself to pause, to breathe, and to be yourself in the room. The consultation is for you, not the other way round.
- 05Notice what feels rushed, and what feels considered. Trust that signal.
06About the practitioner
Dr Kishen
Nara.
Dr Kishen Nara is a registered medical practitioner. He sees patients across Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. The team at RevAesthetic includes practice manager Cate, Patient Liaison Jenny, and registered nurses, all involved in supporting your enquiry.
All assessments are conducted in line with Medical Board of Australia guidelines. A second medical opinion is encouraged at any stage.
- MBBSBachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery — Monash University
- FACCSM(Surg)Surgical Fellow, Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine
- AHPRARegistered medical practitioner — General Registration MED0001201549
07Enquire
Begin a
conversation.
Consultations are conducted personally by Dr Nara across Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. We respond within one business day. There is a written reflection period before any decision, and a second medical opinion is encouraged at any stage.
08Continue reading
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Disclaimer: All cosmetic procedures have inherent potential risks and complications. We encourage you to seek a second opinion from a qualified medical professional before any procedure. Material on this page is educational in nature and is not generalisable — outcomes vary significantly between patients depending on genetic composition, medical history and individual circumstances.