India celebrates the National Day of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery every July 15. According to the Association of Plastic Surgeons in India (APSI), it was, last year, announced that the day will be celebrated across the globe as the World Plastic Surgery Day, making it an excellent opportunity for the international plastic surgery community to come together on a single platform, speak with one voice, and address common issues and to be a springboard for awareness-raising actions.
The announcement was made in a statement released by APSI after then President, Dr Rakesh Khazanchi, spoke about the National Plastic Surgery Day's success in India at the World Council of Leaders.
National Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Day: History and Significance
In 2011, the concept of National Plastic Surgery Day was first introduced by Dr S Raja Sabapathy, then President of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. He conceptualised the idea of celebrating the day and chose July 15 as the appropriate date. "Plastic surgery originated from India and Sushruta is hailed by all as the founder of plastic surgery. Now we can also be proud that from India we conceptualised World Plastic Surgery Day,” said Dr. Sabapathy.
Since then, every year on July 15, plastic surgeons across the country commemorate the day by conducting camps and awareness meetings. Many conducted free surgeries, street shows, lectures, write-ups in print and social media, and more. All the plastic surgeons in the country did one free surgery to help countless people on the day, the APSI said in a statement. In India, most of the plastic surgery that is done is reconstructive surgery.
The opportunity has been well utilized to organize activities related to the different fields of plastic surgery and showcase them to the public at large.
According to NIH, globally over 45,000 plastic surgeons form a formidable community in the health care system. There are common issues, aspirations, and challenges that require collaborative efforts and strategies among international peers. Besides providing healthcare, the progress of specialty, collaborative research, and training are pertinent.
