Plastic Surgery between Humanity and Beauty

As in previous years, the plastic surgeon once again placed his expertise in the service of humanitarian aid.

"There were three plastic surgeons," recalls Dr. Schuhmann, "as well as a maxillofacial surgeon, three anaesthetists, a general surgeon, a junior doctor and a scrub nurse on site." All the medical professionals used their own annual leave for this aid mission in the south of India, operating primarily on burn sequelae, hand malformations, and cleft jaw and palate conditions.

The largest proportion of operations performed were scar contractures, which were corrected by skin grafting. When scar tissue shrinks and hardens during the healing process, this is referred to as a scar contracture. Scar contractures frequently occur following major injuries, burns or inflammation. The scars are uneven and often cause functional limitations, such as reduced mobility of a limb, particularly when the scar is located in the region of a joint. "Many people in India have suffered severe burns," explains the surgeon. "As a result of these burns, limbs are severely restricted in their movement due to the shrinkage and scarring of the skin. By transplanting healthy skin to the burned areas, the function of the affected body parts is restored." The team primarily operated on scar contractures through skin grafting at the neck, axilla, arm, hand, groin and knee. These were not aesthetic procedures, but rather the restoration of bodily function, in order to reduce pain and restore freedom of movement for patients.

Severe burns to the hands are also common in India, as open-fire cooking remains widespread in many areas. "Through our hand operations, we are able to enable some people to use their hands again," says Dr. Schuhmann. "We were able to operate on some patients for the second time this year, achieving a considerable improvement in their condition," reported the plastic surgeon.

Schuhmann and the team from the Interplast Stuttgart/Münster section treated 80 patients in Bangalore and performed more than 90 operations in 10 days. "Without the active support of the Friends Welfare Organisation on the ground and the financial resources provided through donations, our mission would not have been possible," said the surgeon. "The mission was optimally organised and the team was highly professional and efficient. It simply makes operating a pleasure, and you can be certain that the help reaches exactly where it is urgently needed," said Dr. Schuhmann. Humanitarian missions are a cause close to Dr. Schuhmann's heart, for which he sets aside time and annual leave each year. "I have already planned another mission to India for 2019," says Dr. Schuhmann.

Interplast Donation Account

The Interplast donation account at Kreissparkasse Reutlingen:

Account: 10 19 13 70 97 | Sort code: 640 500 00
IBAN: DE81 6405 0000 1019 1370 97

Interplast Germany e.V. Sektion Stuttgart/Münster
Dr. Dr. Michael Bergermann Südstrasse 38
59065 Hamm
T +49 (0) 2381/13070
E lou.bergermann@freenet.de

www.interplast-germany.de