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K. A. Kelly McQueen, MD

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2008;10(6):418-419.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Premature disability and death due to disease, or the burden of disease, is a commonly discussed concept among global health researchers and professionals.^1-2 While surgeons have always believed that surgery was able to prevent or delay disability and death, only recently have these discussions progressed beyond the corridors of the hospital and from under the glare of the operating room lights.^3-5

Many examples of surgical intervention, primarily emergency interventions that are obviously life saving, are broadly accepted as important for national and community health programs and by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, even those surgical interventions designated as "essential" by WHO⁶ are routinely underfunded and underused owing to the misperception that surgery is too expensive and not sustainable; in addition, human and financial resources are scarce in low and middle income countries (LMICs), and surgical programs lack support by large international donors.^{3, 7} Much . . . [Full Text of this Article]