The members of INTERPLAST-Germany e.V. provide plastic surgery free of charge in developing countries.

The treated patients suffer from facial malformations, cleft lips and palates, malformation of hands, extensive burn scars, tumours located on head and skin, disabilities due to accidents or wound consequences of war and other diseases which require the skills of plastic surgery.

The objective is to integrate the patients into society. Unfortunately, innate malformations or diseases are often seen as punishment for sins by divine forces. The affected people are often not accepted socially. Untreated burn scars could lead to deformations or extensive dysfunctions of arms and legs.

The affected patients are often not able to care for their family or for their own.

A hospital or department invites operation teams which work during their vacation for about two weeks in the respective host country. Of course the operation teams act like guests.

The doctors as well as the nursing staff on-site are involved in work and get educated as much as possible. The aim would be that our colleagues in the host country are able to continue to work independently on-site.

For guaranteeing this it is a precondition that the colleagues on-site agree with our visit. The colleagues on-site make a preselection of patients before our arrive due to that we are able to attend a maximum of patients in the two weeks of our short mission. We get to know the patients on the day of arrival.

It is important to ensure that those patients are being operated which otherwise could not afford a treatment of their disease.