Dr. Chatson volunteers his time and skills as a plastic surgeon with Rotaplast International. The mission of Rotaplast is to provide free reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children worldwide who suffer from deformities such as cleft lip, cleft palate, and other plastic surgical conditions. Dr. Chatson serves as the medical team leader on a yearly trip to a developing nation to provide plastic surgery care to these needy children. His prior trips have included journeys to Colombia, Romania, Guatemala, and Venezuela. His team is preparing to go to Bolivia in November 2005. Dr. Chatson has been a member of the Rotary Club of Andover since 1996 and he participates in local charitable efforts as well as performing his international work with Rotaplast.

The need for reconstructive surgery on children in with cleft lip and palate in poorer countries is tremendous. The incidence of these congenital deformities in these regions of the world is greater than the incidence in the United States due to a number of factors. These include poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies in women of childbearing age as well as the presence of environmental toxins in the water supplies. In addition to performing the reconstructive surgery, the Rotaplast team strives to teach the local physicians and surgeons how to perform these delicate operations and how to care for the children postoperatively. To learn more about Rotaplast go to www.rotaplast.org

Dr. Chatson with a parent and child after bilateral cleft lip repair.