Physicians for peace and interplast turkiye: Combined humanitarian surgical activities and conferences

Background: Plastic surgery is the newest frontier of modern surgery, where the latest, scientific advances, the most refined surgical technique, and an artistic approach meet. During the past century, this rather young field of surgery successfully filled an important gap in modern medicine. However, it is still unavailable to billions of people living in developing regions of the world. Nonprofit charity organizations such as Physicians for Peace and Interplast have played a very important role as providers of aid to these people. Interplast Turkiye was founded by Dr. Namik K. Baran together with a group of plastic surgeons and distinguished doctors from Cukurova University in Adana, Turkey, on April 23, 1988. Methods: Detailed data bout the joint and solo activities of Interplast Turkiye and three cooperating humanitarian organizations (i.e., Interplast Germany; Physicians for Peace; and Interplast Inc., USA) were collected and reviewed. Results: Detailed history of the humanitarian activities held by Turkish plastic surgeons, the foundation of the Turkish Interplast, and its humanitarian activities are discussed. Years of experience are summarized, and the essentials of planning an international mission are described. Conclusions: Providing help to the people who cannot readily benefit from plastic surgery is a duty for plastic surgeons worldwide. Nevertheless, plastic surgeons should also train the native surgeons and support the plastic surgery foundations in these countries, so that the people may provide themselves with uninterrupted health care.