For an uplifting article on international medical collaboration on this September 11th, here is some information on an on-line innovation called Interplast Grand Rounds.
An article by Nicole Wallace begins:
“When plastic surgeons in developing countries are confronted with difficult cases, they often don’t have colleagues nearby with whom they can consult. Interplast, a charity in Mountain View, Calif., is trying to lessen the effects of that isolation with an online system that lets those surgeons post challenging or unusual cases and get advice from colleagues around the world. Earlier this year, Goran Jovic, the only plastic surgeon practicing in Zambia, a country of more than 11 million people, was treating a 14 monthold child with a bilateral cleft that split his face into three sections. Dr. Jovic, in his own research, was able to find only two studies that documented similar cases, so he posted photographs of his patient and a description of the case on a site known as Interplast Grand Rounds. Less than six hours later, a surgeon from California proposed one way to approach the problem, and over the next week, surgeons in Ghana, India, Massachusetts, and Texas chimed in with other ideas and what to watch out for, sometimes illustrating their points with drawings and photographs.”
Interplast has expanded its focus over the years, from primarily sending US surgical teams to underserved regions around the world to alternative ways to provide support to surgeons in developing countries.
An earlier PRN article describes a week-long Interplast surgery mission in Bolivia.
To read the entire article by Nicole Wallace, select this link.
Please also visit the Interplast website for more information about the organization.
