Plastic Surgery Day observed at DMCH

Ludhiana, July 15, 2014: Department of Plastic Surgery at DMCH, Ludhiana today observed World Plastic Surgery Day by interacting with the patients and their attendants about the facilities and services being offered by the department.
In his address, Dr Sanjeev Uppal, Professor & Head of Plastic Surgery said that Plastic surgery is not only about looks, people's wellbeing is also at stake. The origin of Plastic Surgery started in India in 600 BC when Shushruta, an Indian surgeon created a new nose from a person’s forehead skin.To spread the advent of this speciality world wide the Association of Plastic Surgeons started celebrating 15th July ever year as Plastic Surgery Day
On this occasion, the faculty and residents of the department distributed pamphlets and gave a short communication to the parents of young children about the repair of cleft lip and palate which is done free of cost in the hospital under Smile Train Project. Every year 35,000 children in India are born with clefts. Without corrective surgery, these children are condemned to a lifetime of isolation and suffering. Many are even abandoned or killed at birth. Smile Train is the world's largest cleft lip and palate charity. Their overriding goal is make safe and quality treatment of cleft lip and palate accessible to the millions who cannot afford it, informed Dr Uppal
According to Dr Ramneesh Garg, most people do not know about the option of plastic and reconstructive surgery. This is because unlike specialties such as cardiac and orthopaedic surgeries and neurosurgery, this subject does not relate to any particular organ. Plastic surgeons operate from head to foot.
During the occasion, parents of babies born with cleft palate or combined cleft lip and palate,were given some feeding tips  by the doctors which include:
•    Feed your baby in a calm quiet environment. Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable chair.
•    Seat your baby fairly upright for bottle feeding. This may prevent milk coming
out of your baby's nose during sucking. Hold your baby close to you so he/she is well supported during feeding.
•    If your baby also has a cleft lip, avoid placing the teat into the cleft.