Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

A facelift specialist says stem cell research will provide the next leap forward for plastic surgery.

The New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgery held its annual meeting in Auckland on Saturday, reviewing topics such as better wound healing and ways of reducing complications.

Wellington plastic and cosmetic surgeon David Glasson says breast surgery trials beginning in Australia are providing a snapshot of the future of plastic surgery.

Five women will undergo trials at the Bernard O'Brien Institute in Melbourne which is expected to show missing breast tissue re-generate.

"We're tremendously interested in how we can grow tissue that might be missing," Mr Glasson says.