Dr. K. Sridhar
President - 2003

Dear Friends,

Let me take this opportunity of thanking you all officially for electing me as the President of this august body. My congratulations to Prof. Sadashivamurthy for organising a wonderful conference during 2002.

Everyone of my predecessors have contributed immensely to the growth of the speciality and associations.

It is three months since I have taken ever and within this short period, I was able to visit many parts of the country to attend various conferences and workshops and CME programs organised by various sections and chapters. I was fortunate to interact with many stalwarts in the speciality and the “new generation of energetic productive youngsters”. Now the association has numbers spanning four decades of age groups. It is not therefore surprising to have diametrically opposite view points and priorities. We have well settled established surgeons on one end and the younger generation on the other, trying to make a mark against all odds in today’s “Market oriented” society and mid level age group which has reached a plateau.

The problems are now mainly for the younger generations. They feel insecure. The odds now faced by the younger surgeons are :

1. A crisis of identity
2. Inadequate broad based exposure
3. Overlap of speciality

This is apart from problems faced by the entire medical fraternity like CPA etc. The practice of a Plastic Surgeon in metropolitan cities many cases of hand problems, peripheral nerves, cranial anamolies why even cleft lips are referred now o plastic surgeons. Why?. Basically, we are not specialists of any particular sex, age group, disease, system or organ. Our speciality’s scope is not well defined. Therefore we become invisible. The specialist who deals with that organ/system/age group is more visible to the referring practitioner. LET US EDUCATE our own colleagues first and then the public. Always there are two sides to a coin. The fact that we have no well defined boundaries also allows us to expand. We can chip in with our knowledge on cranio facial area and explore the skull base with the neurosurgeon and hand and neck surgeons. The “Hand” has become almost a plastic surgeon’s territory now.

Mutual respect and interaction with orthopaedic, neurosurgical and dental colleagues will definitely help to get an identity of our own. We, plastic surgeons have a dual role


(1) As primary surgeons i.e. aesthetic, micro, cleft etc.

(2) As a supportive surgeon with ortho/neuro/gynaec/general surgeon/eye/ENT surgeons. Therefore we have to educate the public for primary procedures and educate the colleagues for supportive procedures. No neurosurgeon/paediatric surgeon can be expected to refer us a case of carniosepnostosis unless he is confident that we can do a better job. The onus of doing that is with us.

LET US “PROPOGATE”. Taking part in CME programmes of other specialities is a simple way of educating them. Same way, we must involve other specialities in our CME programmes.
This will help build bridges among various specialities. The identity and status to our speciality is given by the society to us. They will recognise us only when we directly contribute qualitatively to society and also make our contributions known.

If each state chapters/associations can organise public awareness programs and well organised cleft lip and other camps, it will go a long way in making public understand the scope. Of course “safety” in such camps is the most important criteria, otherwise it will have a negative impact.

Unless our younger surgeons get adequate exposure in all areas of subspeciality, we cannot stop others from taking over parts of our speciality which are within the fringe of overlapping territories. We are essentially general surgeons dealing with defects, deformities and disabilities. Every student who is doing M.Ch. or DNB in Plastic Surgery must be posted at least for 3 months in centres other than where they are enrolled.

Unless this is done, exposure in different fields is not possible. No single centre excels in everything. Even private hospitals and teaching institutions must be requested to train the PGs for short periods as visitors especially aesthetic, micro, craniofacial etc. where there are limited centres. Every plastic surgeon who passes out must be capable of performing basic procedures in all the subspecialities. Associations must have a say in drawing up the curriculum and training programs. More and more of good teachers/potentially good surgeons are leaving teaching institution for private practice. We must somehow utilise their expertise to train our next generation.

LET US “INNOVATE, EDUCATE AND PROPOGATE”

Sincerely,
Dr. K. Sridhar