Dr van Heijningen is a plastic surgeon who was trained in the Netherlands but moved to Belgium after marrying a Belgian anesthetist. He presently works in the AZ Zeno hospitals of Knokke and Blankenberge and his private clinic Duinbergen Clinic.   He believes in Patient Education and providing Patient Safety. To promote this, he teaches frequently in international courses and congresses around the world.    He is member of renowned professional societies such as the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He is board member of ISAPS and chairs the Certification Committee. He is co-organizer of the yearly ISAPS fresh cadaver dissection course in Liege since 2014   He is also closely involved with the European Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery(ESAPS). He is past-president and the current treasurer.    He is the president elect of the Royal Belgian Society of Plastic Surgery (RBSPS).   He initiated the European Standard for Aesthetic Surgery Services out of concern for patient safety. This standard was published in 2015. A European Standard for Aesthetic Medicine non-surgical procedures was published in 2017.