The World Plastic Surgery Day is celebrated every year on July 15. The idea to celebrate National Plastic Surgery day originated in India by Dr Raja Sabapathy, President of Association of Plastic Surgeons of India, in 2011. This concept has been now accepted internationally to recognize July 15 as World Plastic Surgery day by the World Council of Leaders, a meeting of presidents of plastic surgery associations from various countries. The main purpose of celebrating World Plastic Surgery day is to bring awareness among people about the role of Plastic Surgeon in the society and to highlight the scope of the field of Plastic Surgery in the community.
Plastic Surgery is a surgical specialty which involves the restoration, reconstruction and alteration of human body. The word ‘Plastic’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Plasticos’ which means ‘the art of moulding’. The mention of treatment of plastic repair of broken nose dates back to 1600 BC in the Egyptian medical text called Edin Smith Papyrus. Sushruta, is considered the father of Indian Plastic Surgery, whose contributions to the field of plastic surgery in the 6th century, are been preserved in the book, ‘Sushruta Samhita’. The ancient Roman Scholar, Aulus Cornelius Celsus, also recorded surgical techniques, including plastic surgery, in the first century BC. These techniques were further modified by the European and British plastic surgeons in the 15th century. Sir Harold Gillies, an otolaryngologist from New Zealand, trained in London, is considered as the Father of modern Plastic Surgery, who performed many complex reconstructive surgeries and invented many newer surgical techniques in the field of plastic surgery during World War I and World War II.
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Plastic surgery mainly consist of two major categories, Reconstructive Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery. Reconstructive Surgery involves restoration of form and function by alteration of human body with surgeries like replantations, flaps surgeries, skin grafting, correction of birth defects, etc. Cosmetic Surgery involves beautification of the human body by cosmetic surgeries like nose job, tummy tuck, facelift, botox, fillers, hair transplant etc. Other subspecialties of plastic surgeries include hand surgery, cleft and Cranio-facial surgery, burns, microsurgery, pediatric plastic surgery and vascular surgery.
The real problem is lack of easy availability of plastic surgeon in the health care, rather than lack of knowledge and awareness about the specialty. Of the 44 essential procedures listed in the publication of World Bank’s disease control priorities, plastic surgical procedures include treatment of injuries, burns and birth defects. The plastic surgery services across the world are woefully lacking. Five out of 7.4 billion population, do not have access to reconstructive surgeon. The burden is huge in low and middle income countries lacking safe and appropriate medical access. The role of international collaboration by the plastic surgeons across the world is imminent in order to match the global standards and safety. The international outreach programme aims at sustainability of burns, cleft and cranio-facial surgical care at affordable cost in low and middle income countries.
With the growing awareness and the demand for the plastic surgeons, the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI), Indian Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (IAAPS) along with international peers strive to increase the outreach of plastic surgery services to the rural and inaccessible areas in India. Programs like The Smile train, The lifeline Express and Hope After Fire, have changed the life of people in desperate need of the facility.
For most people in the world, plastic surgery relates mainly to cosmetic surgery. Most people regard plastic surgeons mainly as cosmetic surgeons, and to add to it are the social media sources, creating more confusion. World Plastic Surgery day aims at clearing this confusion, by making people understand the scope of the specialty, role of the plastic surgeon in the community and create awareness about plastic surgery.
(Dr Peter Savio Da Cruz is a plastic and cosmetic surgeon from Margao, practising in Goa for the past five years in the private sector)
