Australian Interplast Team in Labasa

For the first time a microvas­cular transfer of tissue was carried out at the Labasa Hospital by an Australian Inter­plast team last week.

Team leader and surgeon Doctor David Ying said this big operation took one whole day was done on a man who suffered from shark bites on his forearm years ago.

“The team assisted by Australia Rotary Club and Labasa Rotary Club have been providing free treatment of plastic and recon­structive surgeries for eight years now and I have been coming for seven years,” Dr Ying said.

“Every year we see 50 patients and out of this we perform sur­gery on the few needed patients.

This year we operated on 25 pa­tients and all were successful dur­ing our one-week stay in Labasa.”

“We work with the local doctors who prepare a list of patients to be seen and send it to us so that we can prepare in advance,” he said.

“This year we had eight team members and managed to have a good interaction with the medical professionals here.

“I am aware that there is only one good Fijian plastic surgeon based at the Colonial Ward Memo­rial Hospital, Suva.

“I believe more needs to be done so that doctors and nurses numer­ation can be improved and such surgeries can be done in Fiji.

“If patients went to Australia to get the same kind of surgery that we had performed they might spent around $A10,000 to $A25,000.”

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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