Blog Article
Posted on September 22nd, 2012 in
Facial Surgery, Plastic Surgeon
The highly successful Operation Mend, a joint military/civilian program, has been able to provide more than 50 veterans with free cosmetic surgeries since 2007. The program is been growing in scope and popularity since its beginning.
To provide the best care possible, the program uses world-class surgeons who lead their fields in scar treatments,
skin treatments, burn reconstruction,
body contouring and
facial plastic surgery. This allows the veterans to receive levels of care they would be unable to afford otherwise and that would not be covered by standard insurance.
Burn Repair and Cosmetic Surgery for Wounded US Military
According to a recent
story in the Dallas News, this program is gaining more public support and donations, with the hope of being able to reach more veterans each year. Originally founded by Ron Katz and his late wife Maddie, Operation Mend has developed beyond the original structure.
Successful on a number of levels, the results achieved through the Operation Mend program have given soldiers improved health and self-confidence. The surgeries have included scar repair, burn treatments and reconstruction of facial traumas to the ears, nose and mouth. Other secondary benefits have included improved mental conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
One soldier who has benefited from the program is 26-year old Joey Paulk, who says he was very self-conscious of his appearance after nearly burning to death in 2007. In his words: “I wasn’t very happy with the way I looked.” Yet three recent surgeries with Operation Mend have changed all that, greatly improving his self confidence. “It’s helped my friends and family, too,” Paulk says. “Because I’m happy, they’re happy.”
With dramatic success stories like this for veterans of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the program has been widely successful, despite the surprisingly high cost of the surgeries. According to Katz, many of the surgeries cost upwards of $500,000.
One of the key sponsors for the Operation Mend program, billionaire T. Boone Pickens, has long supported the program, as he says he is committed to helping wounded veterans. In his words, “We want to do our best for these men and women when they come home.”
Photo by U.S. Army on Flickr.
