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32 IPRAS Journal www.ipras.org Issue 5
“INTERPLAST – Germany”
“INTERPLAST – Germany” performs free plastic reconstructive surgery for social
underprivileged and needy patients in developing countries. The volunteering medical
personnel of this NGO (plastic surgeons, anaesthetists, operating room and anaesthetic
nurses and other specialists) work free of charge, usually during their annual holiday
or after retirement. Travel expenses, medical supplies and instruments are funded by
donations raised in Germany from industry as well as the general public.
In the last years we organized about 60 camps per year all over the world. Specialists
of different faculties join the 1600 INTERPLAST members and share their expertise
for the benefit of the poor. INTERPLAST teams provide reconstructive operations
that transform the lives of children with physical disabilities and thereby improve the
future of their families. INTERPLAST has no financial, political, racial or religious
interest.
The aim of the surgery is to improve function, and not to do cosmetic surgery.
Cooperation with local medical staff and working in their hospitals close to the
patients´ home is efficient and offers education in a specialist field for all involved.
Apart from medical staff, local volunteers with social commitment are essential for
the preparation and the smooth running of a successful INTERPLAST camp which
should be a humanitarian joint venture.
Interplast supports the IPRAS guidelines for humanitarian work which are:
I. Registration of humanitarian missions to facilitate and better coordinate
humanitarian activities involving plastic surgeons all over the world.
II. Improvement of the quality of humanitarian aid given by experienced plastic
surgeons so that no harm will be done.
In the humanitarian camp there is no place for cosmetic surgery and competition
with the local plastic surgeons should be avoided.
The humanitarian aid provided should lead to sustainable development of
reconstructive plastic surgery in the receiving countries.
Therefore Interplast is operating accordingly. Since 2008 all Interplast camps are
registered in advance. Quality report with complication review is mandatory after
every camp. Finally, integration of the local colleagues is always sought, but,
unfortunately, not always managed.
André Borsche
Interplast Germany