Dr. Brett Kotlus, a cosmetic and oculofacial plastic surgeon practicing in Shelby Township, Michigan, has traveled to different areas of the world for medical missions. In September, 2008 he spent two weeks in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia training surgeons in eyelid and facial reconstructive surgery.
Surgical procedures included facial bone reconstructions, eyelid reconstructions, and facial tumor resections. “The physicians in Mongolia are highly motivated to advance the quality of medical care in their country, but their access to resources is limited. One half of Mongolians live in small huts, as part of a nomadic lifestyle,” said Dr. Kotlus.
Health for Humanity organized the mission, a group that “focuses primarily on blindness prevention and development of vision services to address local health issues and challenges.” With his background in oculofacial plastic surgery, Dr. Kotlus was particularly qualified to assist the group in Mongolia.
“My visit to Mongolia gave me a rich cultural experience and it helped me to appreciate the high quality of medicine we have in the United States.” The doctor says he plans to develop an online consultation service with the surgeons to assist them further.
“Dr. Pancholi, who is certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, takes scare tactics a step further. He shows patients graphic postoperative pictures of smokers who didn’t heed his advice to quit. “They see the wound opening up, turning red or black, the edges start coming apart,” he said. “They see the skin graft we use to put it back together.”
