Michael Thomson volunteers time to change lives in developing countries

Through Interplast, a non-profit who sends volunteer medical professionals to aid countries in need, Dr Thomson has performed nearly 100 surgeries.

Dr Thomson said he got involved with Interplast when he was training to become a specialist plastic surgeon.

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"We're taught by surgeons who previously had done Interplast, and normally part of the natural progression is to then go and volunteer," Dr Thomson said.

"Tasmania contributes a lot to the program, a lot of Tasmanian plastic surgeons contribute to different countries."

Dr Thomson said many of the surgeries involved fixing cleft lip and palates in babies.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby's lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy.

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It's one of the most common birth defects, and is often present in developing Asian countries.

"It's quite a technical surgery and that's the deficit in these countries in the Pacific and Asia, they don't have the specialty expertise, and not every surgeon can do that sort of surgery," Dr Thomson said.

"Plastic surgeries also include congenital problems with the hand, so sometimes physiotherapists come along on the trip."

Supporting and training medical professionals in developing countries is also part of Interplast's mission, and Dr Thomson said Tasmania has hosted doctors from different Pacific Island and Asian countries.

"Hobart has hosted some courses, and so rather than us going to the site and offering the surgery, part of the process is to teach the doctors," Dr Thomson said.

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"We've done a flap course where they learn techniques and take them back home ... ultimately the idea is us not having to go if these countries get their own specialists."

He said it was an incredibly rewarding experience.

"It's very busy, you're there for a short period of time and it's a real team effort," he said.

"You really appreciate what you've got and also, they really do make the most of what they have got."

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