Dr Marshall Murdoch

Specialist plastic surgeon with a focused practice in facial plastic surgery and aesthetic breast surgery

BSc, MBBCh (Wits), FC Plast Surg (SA), IBCFPRS, MSc HPE (Glasgow)

I am a specialist plastic surgeon based at Advanced Health Surgical Centre in Knysna. My practice is focused on facial plastic surgery and selected aesthetic breast surgery, supported by an enduring interest in surgical education, patient safety and the continuous improvement of care.

I completed my BSc in 1995 and my medical degree in 2000 at the University of the Witwatersrand, where I subsequently completed my specialist training in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In 2008, I was admitted as a Fellow of the College of Plastic Surgeons of South Africa and registered as a specialist plastic surgeon with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. I entered specialist private practice in July of that year.

In 2010, I undertook further fellowship training in aesthetic surgery under Dr Richard Halley-Stott at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. I received International Board Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2022. In the same year, I received the Claus D. Walter Award for Academic Excellence from the International Board for Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, after achieving the highest score among international candidates in the examinations of the affiliated American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

I am an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Cape Town, where I contribute to registrar teaching. I also co-direct the facial plastic surgery fellowship programme established in 2022—the only programme in Africa currently approved by the International Board for Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. My wider educational roles include responsibility for the educational portfolios of APRASSA and the African Facial Plastic Surgery Academy.

In 2026, I was awarded an MSc in Health Professions Education with Distinction by the University of Glasgow. My dissertation examined models of surgeons’ intraoperative judgement and their implications for surgical education.

My approach to patient care is grounded in careful assessment, honest communication and continuous improvement. I aim to understand what matters to each patient and recommend surgery only when its expected benefits justify its risks. Sometimes the best advice is to defer treatment or not to operate. I place particular importance on realistic expectations, shared decision-making, meticulous planning and responsible follow-up, recognising that surgery involves biological uncertainty and that no result can be guaranteed.

Clinical practice

  • Practice focus: Facial plastic surgery and selected aesthetic breast surgery
  • Practice location: Advanced Health Surgical Centre, Knysna
  • Specialist registration: Health Professions Council of South Africa, 2008
  • Specialist private practice: July 2008–present

Qualifications and certification

  • BSc, University of the Witwatersrand, 1995
  • MBBCh, University of the Witwatersrand, 2000
  • FC Plast Surg (SA), Fellow of the College of Plastic Surgeons of South Africa, Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, 2008
  • International Board Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, IBCFPRS, 2022
  • MSc Health Professions Education with Distinction, University of Glasgow, 2026

Further professional training

  • Fellowship training in aesthetic surgery under Dr Richard Halley-Stott, Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, 2010

Academic and educational appointments

  • Honorary Senior Lecturer, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Cape Town, 2024–present
  • Postgraduate plastic-surgery registrar teaching
  • Co-director, IBCFPRS-approved Facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship Programme, 2022–present

Professional leadership

  • Executive Committee Member: Educational Portfolio, Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons of Southern Africa (APRASSA), 2020–present
  • Founding Member and Executive Committee Member: Educational Portfolio, African Facial Plastic Surgery Academy (AFPSA), 2025–present
  • Assistant National Secretary for South Africa, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), 2018–2022

Community service

Since 2018, I have volunteered my reconstructive surgical services at Knysna Provincial Hospital, generally on a monthly basis. This pro bono work is an important and personally rewarding part of my practice, allowing me to contribute specialist reconstructive care within the local public health service.

Research Awards

2016: Gold medal for the Best Research Presentation by a Consultant Surgeon at the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Southern Africa (APRSSA) Annual Congress

2010: Stratmed Prize for the Best Research Presentation by a Consultant Surgeon at the South African Society for Surgery of the Hand (SASSH) Annual Congress

2010: Natrelle Prize for the Best Research Presentation by a Consultant Surgeon at the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Southern Africa (APRSSA) Annual Congress

2008: Prize for the Best Research Presentation by a Registrar at the South African Society for Surgery of the Hand (SASSH) Annual Congress

2007: Prize for the Best Research Presentation by a Registrar at the South African Society for Surgery of the Hand (SASSH) Annual Congress

2007: Prize for the Best Clinical Presentation by a Registrar at the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Southern Africa (APRSSA) Annual Congress.

Selected honours

Claus D. Walter Award for Academic Excellence, 2022

Awarded by the International Board for Certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to the highest-scoring international candidate in the examinations of the affiliated American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Professional disclosures

I am a member of the Allergan Medical Academy in South Africa and provide remunerated educational and advisory services to Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company. I also provide educational and advisory services to L’Oréal South Africa. These relationships are disclosed in the interests of transparency.