Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Plastic Surgery in Camps in Rural India

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Shortage of plastic surgeons is well known in the developing countries, and this leads to denial of plastic surgery facilities to a very large population especially in the rural area. We report a retrospective review of our experience with 60 rural plastic surgery camps in Central India over 16 years. A total of 4317 patients were operated, and majority (~ 65%) of patients had cleft lip/palate and post-burn contractures. Results were satisfactory, and there were no major complications. Usefulness of such camps is obvious, and we wish to share lessons learnt during these camps.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

NA

References

  1. Ozgediz D, Hsia R, Weiser T, Gosselin R, Spiegel D, Bickler S, Dunbar P, McQueen K (2009) Population health metrics for surgery: effective coverage of surgical services in low-income and middle-income countries. World J Surg 33(1):1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-008-9799-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Mock CN, Donkor P, Gawande A, Jamison DT, Kruk ME, Debas HT, DCP3 (2015) Essential surgery author group. Essential surgery: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition. Lancet 30 385(9983):2209–2219. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60091-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Freshwater MF (2016) Giving thanks - addressing the worldwide plastic surgeon shortage. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 69(4):443–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2015.12.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Davis RW, Johnson WD, Hollier LH Jr (2019) Addressing the surgical deficit: a global imperative for plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 16 7(10):e2454. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000002454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Corlew DS (2009) Perspectives on plastic surgery and global health. Ann Plast Surg 62(5):473–477. https://doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0b013e31818c4b58

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Semer NB, Sullivan SR, Meara JG (2010) Plastic surgery and global health: how plastic surgery impacts the global burden of surgical disease. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 63(8):1244–1248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2009.07.028

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Borrelli MR (2018) What is the role of plastic surgery in global health? A Review. World J Plast Surg 7(3):275–282. https://doi.org/10.29252/wjps.7.3.275

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Bauder AR, Sarik JR, Butler PD, Noone RB, Fischer JP, Serletti JM, Kanchwala SK, Kovach SJ, Fox JP (2016) Geographic variation in access to plastic surgeons. Ann Plast Surg 76(2):238–243. https://doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0000000000000651

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Patel PS, Chung KY, Kasrai L (2018) Innovate global plastic and reconstructive surgery: Cleft Lip and Palate Charity Database. J Craniofac Surg 29(4):937–942. https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000004374

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sykes KJ (2014) Short-term medical service trips: a systematic review of the evidence. Am J Public Health 104(7):e38–e48. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301983

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Shrime MG, Sleemi A, Ravilla TD (2015) Charitable platforms in global surgery: a systematic review of their effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and role training. World J Surg 39(1):10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hendriks TCC, Botman M, Rahmee CNS, Ket JCF, Mullender MG, Gerretsen B, Nuwass EQ, Marck KW, Winters HAH (2019) Impact of short-term reconstructive surgical missions: a systematic review. BMJ Glob Health 3 4(2):e001176. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Caldron PH, Impens A, Pavlova M, Groot W (2015) A systematic review of social, economic and diplomatic aspects of short-term medical missions. BMC Health Serv Res15 15:380. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0980-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Schneider WJ, Politis GD, Gosain AK, Migliori MR, Cullington JR, Peterson EL, Corlew DS, Wexler AM, Flick R, Van Beek AL (2011) Volunteers in plastic surgery guidelines for providing surgical care for children in the less developed world. Plast Reconstr Surg 127(6):2477–2486. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3182131d2a

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Meier DE, Fitzgerald TN, Axt JR (2016) A practical guide for short-term pediatric surgery global volunteers. J Pediatr Surg 51(8):1380–1384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.05.016

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Roche SD, Ketheeswaran P, Wirtz VJ (2017) International short-term medical missions: a systematic review of recommended practices. Int J Public Health 62(1):31–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0889-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lasker JN, Aldrink M, Balasubramaniam R, Caldron P, Compton B, Evert J, Loh LC, Prasad S, Siegel S (2018) Guidelines for responsible short-term global health activities: developing common principles. Global Health 7 14(1):18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0330-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Butler M, Drum E, Evans FM, Fitzgerald T, Fraser J, Holterman AX, Jen H, Kynes M, Kreiss J, McClain CD, Newton M, Nwomeh B, O'Neill J, Ozgediz D, Politis G, Rice H, Rothstein D, Sanchez J, Singleton M, Yudkowitz FS (2018) Guidelines and checklists for short-term missions in global pediatric surgery: recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics Delivery of Surgical Care Global Health Subcommittee, American Pediatric Surgical Association Global Pediatric Surgery Committee, Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Committee on International Education and Service, and American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association, Inc. Global Health Special Interest Group. Paediatr Anaesth 28(5):392–410. https://doi.org/10.1111/pan.13378

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Grant CL, Robinson T, Al Hinai A, Mack C, Guilfoyle R, Saleh A (2020) Ethical considerations in global surgery: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health 21 5(4):e002319. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mohan HM, Fitzgerald E, Gokani V, Sutton P, Harries R, Bethune R, McDermott FD, ASiT Global Surgery Group Association of Surgeons in Training (2018) Engagement and role of surgical trainees in global surgery: consensus statement and recommendations from the Association of Surgeons in Training. Int J Surg 52:366–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2017.10.033

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Patel A, Sawh-Martinez RF, Sinha I, Watkins JF, Magee WP, Persing JA (2013) Establishing sustainable international burn missions: lessons from India. Ann Plast Surg 71(1):31–33. https://doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0b013e3182898cd5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sinha I, Zhu D, Ojomo K, Gfrerer L, Sawh-Martinez R, Patel A, Chan RK, Watkins JF (2016) Functional and subjective assessment of burn contracture release in a mission setting. Burns 42(2):466–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2015.07.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Volk AS, Davis MJ, Desai P, Hollier LH Jr (2020) The history and mission of smile train, a global cleft charity. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am 32(3):481–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coms.2020.04.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Agarwal P, Kain R, Raina VK (2005) Plastic surgery in rural area: a report. Indian J Plast Surg 38:30–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/Botched-cataract-surgery-Trust-that-held-eye-camp-to-be-banned/articleshow/46128277.cms. Accessed on 10th October 2020.

  26. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/eye-camp-tragedy-doctor-ngo-activist-held-as-punjab-orders-probe-114120501343_1.html. Accessed on 10th October 2020.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the general surgery residents who accompanied the team to these camps and all the team members of local organisers (District administration, NGOs, Health care workers) whose help was invaluable.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plastic Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, NSCB Government Medical College, 292/293, Napier Town, Jabalpur, MP, 482003, India

    Pawan Agarwal & Prashant Yadav

  2. Jabalpur, India

    Pawan Agarwal

  3. Department of Surgery, NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, 482003, India

    Dhananjaya Sharma & Arpan Mishra

  4. Paediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, 482003, India

    Vikesh Agrawal

Authors
  1. Pawan Agarwal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Prashant Yadav
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dhananjaya Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vikesh Agrawal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Arpan Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pawan Agarwal.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Code Availability

NA

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Agarwal, P., Yadav, P., Sharma, D. et al. Plastic Surgery in Camps in Rural India. Indian J Surg 83, 1394–1400 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-020-02681-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-020-02681-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation