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Humanitarian Plastic Surgery

  • Jul 12

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    Plastic surgeons are generally perceived as among the medical professionals who make oodles of money in the course of practicing their profession. Whether we like it or not, people often see plastic surgery as cosmetic, and often equate it with rich, affluent clients, supposedly the only type who can afford to undergo the generally costly plastic surgery procedures.

    But there is an entirely different side to all that. While it is true that many plastic surgeons make a good living out of performing nose jobs, liposuction, facelifts, or tummy tucks on patients who can afford such operations, it is also a fact that most of them lend their skills and talents to volunteer work. With their highly specialized skills, these doctors help better the lives of thousands upon thousands of people all over the world.

    At the forefront of these charitable works is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Through its educational and research arm, the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF), the organization throws its full support behind plastic surgeons who are more than willing to do volunteer work abroad, using their surgical skills to help children and adults with physical deformities who could not afford plastic surgery.

    Belying claims that they’re in their profession just for the money, these doctors leave their private practices behind for weeks, and usually shoulder whatever expenses they incur so they can help out poor, unfortunate children who were born with cleft palates, burn victims or soldiers disfigured by war wounds all over the world. These plastic surgeons mainly perform their work under the auspices of the Reconstructive Surgeons Volunteer Program (RSVP), an umbrella organization of the PSEF.

    Established in 1988 by the PSEF, RSVP is made up of 16 organizations dedicated to performing volunteer service in all parts of the globe. These RSVP member agencies are listed below:

    African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF)
    With its headquarters located in Nairobi, Kenya, the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) is the only international health development NGO that has its base of operations in Africa. Founded in 1957, the AMREF aims “to improve the health of disadvantaged people in Africa as a means for them to escape poverty and improve the quality of their lives.”

    Austin Smiles
    Based in Austin, Texas, Austin Smiles performs reconstructive surgery on the children of Austin and the surrounding 10 counties who were born with cleft lips and palates. Its doctors also go on a number of medical missions to Latin America every year.

    I Care -- Children of the Andes
    This non-profit foundation was established by plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Koury and his wife in 1989. The group focuses on operating on children in Latin American countries with facial deformities ranging from cleft palates to debilitating hand deformities.

    Indochina Surgical Educational Exchange
    Created by doctors Bryant Toth, John Constable and Michael Moses, this foundation aims to help restore reconstructive surgery in war-torn Vietnam. The foundation has already trained around 50 Vietnamese doctors in the past 20 years.

    Interplast
    Founded in 1969 with plastic surgeon Dr. Donald R. Laub at the helm, Interplast is the first international humanitarian organization to provide free reconstructive surgery in developing countries.

    Operation Kids
    A charitable organization which supports diverse children’s charities in order to serve the well-being, educational, environmental, safety and health needs of children all over the world.

    Operation Rainbow
    Headquartered in Houston, Texas, this organization was founded in 1978 by Dr. William B. Riley Jr. with a twofold mission: to provide less fortunate children in the United States and abroad free plastic and orthopedic surgery, and to encourage medical self-sufficiency by continually educating international health care providers.

    Operation Smile International
    Plastic surgeon William P. Magee Jr., and his wife, clinical social worker and nurse Kathleen S. Magee founded Operation Smile in 1982. The Norfolk, Virginia-based organization, which aims to help children with cleft lips and palates all over the world, backs international and local, in-country medical missions to 24 partner countries at present.

    Physicians For Peace
    Through medical education and training, clinical care, and donated medical supplies, this organization is dedicated to provide the unmet medical needs and inadequate resources in developing countries.

    Small World Foundation
    The Small World Foundation is a faith-based, Judeo-Christian agency that was founded in 1995 to help less unfortunate children and adults in developing countries by providing reconstructive surgery and medical aid.

    The RSVP has three affiliate members, which are the Christian Medical & Dental Society, Fresh Start and Healing the Children Midlantic.

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    • Rewarding Volunteer Work
    catman on Feb 27

    I work with a Santa Rosa plastic surgeon who often travels to Latin America and Africa to volunteer his surgical skills to repair cleft lips and other birth defects in children from Nicaragua, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina and Kenya. This article lists a number of quality volunteer organizations for surgeons, and from my experience, most plastic surgeons are eager to give back to communities and employ their training to help the less fortunate out there. This is an important issue that sometimes gets lost among the glitz and glamour of cosmetic procedures.

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