Face to Face: Linyi City, China
Thomas S. Lee, MD Humanitarian Travel Grant Awardee Syracuse, NY In October 2010, I embarked on a 26-hour journey to Linyi City, China, as a member of an otolaryngology surgical mission team. The sponsor FACE TO FACE is an ongoing humanitarian and educational surgical program, conducted under the sponsorship of the Educational and Research Foundation of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This was the seventh FACE TO FACE visit to Linyi City and was led by Scott Tatum, MD (Syracuse, NY). In addition, the team consisted of several facial plastic surgeons from all over the U.S., including Harrison C. Putman III, MD (Peoria, IL), J. Charles Finn, MD (Chapel Hill, NC), Marcus W. Moody, MD (Little Rock, AR), and our translator Terry Crawford, Jr. (Beijing, China). During the mission, in addition to providing surgical care, the FACE TO FACE team presented educational lectures at an international symposium attended by about 100 regional doctors. Our lectures covered a variety of facial plastic and reconstructive topics, ranging from Mohs reconstruction techniques and dental occlusion assessment, to my own talk on medical management of hemangioma. The audience showed much enthusiasm, and the lectures were well-received by the local professionals. During our stay, we screened patients who were referred to us because there was no adequate means for local doctors to surgically repair their complex injuries or facial deformities. Due to the one-child policy in China, each pediatric patient in the ward was an only child. As we screened pediatric patients for their surgical candidacy, it was easy to note the sense of desperation and urgency in their parents who viewed our surgical treatment as their one crucial chance to correct their children’s deformities and give their children a brighter future. Recognizing the significance of what our team offered, I could sense the members trying even harder to accommodate and provide the utmost surgical care possible. Our team performed a wide range of surgeries, ranging from open reduction and internal fixation of complex, pan-facial, bony fractures to cleft-lip and -palate repairs in patients, who were either left untreated well into their late childhood or had poorly repaired clefts requiring revisions. Although our surgical technicians could barely speak English, through creative hand gestures and with the help of translators, we succeeded in achieving remarkable surgical outcomes.After traveling thousands of miles, seeing the gratitude in our patients and their families made me remember and instilled in my mind yet again the importance of providing care to those with limited access to the surgical care they need. As our team and Chinese staff worked toward a common goal of helping these patients, we strengthened bonds of friendship and professional relationships established over a decade of previous FACE TO FACE visits. The entire experience was an eye opener and will have a great impact on shaping my future career as I plan to pursue future humanitarian trips and encourage others to recognize the impact of reaching out and helping those with limited medical resources both in the U.S. and in other countries.

Thomas S. Lee, MD
Humanitarian Travel Grant Awardee
Syracuse, NY
In October 2010, I embarked on a 26-hour journey to Linyi City, China, as a member of an otolaryngology surgical mission team. The sponsor FACE TO FACE is an ongoing humanitarian and educational surgical program, conducted under the sponsorship of the Educational and Research Foundation of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
This was the seventh FACE TO FACE visit to Linyi City and was led by Scott Tatum, MD (Syracuse, NY). In addition, the team consisted of several facial plastic surgeons from all over the U.S., including Harrison C. Putman III, MD (Peoria, IL), J. Charles Finn, MD (Chapel Hill, NC), Marcus W. Moody, MD (Little Rock, AR), and our translator Terry Crawford, Jr. (Beijing, China).
During the mission, in addition to providing surgical care, the FACE TO FACE team presented educational lectures at an international symposium attended by about 100 regional doctors. Our lectures covered a variety of facial plastic and reconstructive topics, ranging from Mohs reconstruction techniques and dental occlusion assessment, to my own talk on medical management of hemangioma. The audience showed much enthusiasm, and the lectures were well-received by the local professionals.
During our stay, we screened patients who were referred to us because there was no adequate means for local doctors to surgically repair their complex injuries or facial deformities. Due to the one-child policy in China, each pediatric patient in the ward was an only child. As we screened pediatric patients for their surgical candidacy, it was easy to note the sense of desperation and urgency in their parents who viewed our surgical treatment as their one crucial chance to correct their children’s deformities and give their children a brighter future.

Recognizing the significance of what our team offered, I could sense the members trying even harder to accommodate and provide the utmost surgical care possible. Our team performed a wide range of surgeries, ranging from open reduction and internal fixation of complex, pan-facial, bony fractures to cleft-lip and -palate repairs in patients, who were either left untreated well into their late childhood or had poorly repaired clefts requiring revisions. Although our surgical technicians could barely speak English, through creative hand gestures and with the help of translators, we succeeded in achieving remarkable surgical outcomes.After traveling thousands of miles, seeing the gratitude in our patients and their families made me remember and instilled in my mind yet again the importance of providing care to those with limited access to the surgical care they need. As our team and Chinese staff worked toward a common goal of helping these patients, we strengthened bonds of friendship and professional relationships established over a decade of previous FACE TO FACE visits.
The entire experience was an eye opener and will have a great impact on shaping my future career as I plan to pursue future humanitarian trips and encourage others to recognize the impact of reaching out and helping those with limited medical resources both in the U.S. and in other countries.