Disparities and Barriers to Care in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for Native American and First Nations Populations

Bohler F, Pham MN, Attisha T, Burmeister JR, Chaiyasate K. Disparities and Barriers to Care in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for Native American and First Nations Populations. Plastic and reconstructive surgery Global open. 2025;13(10):e7159. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000007159

Read the paper here

Background

Native American and First Nations people have many well-known health gaps. However, the disparity they face when trying to get plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) is often overlooked. These communities have a higher need for help with things like cleft lips, injuries from accidents, and issues after cancer surgery. Even though there is a need, these patients get these surgeries much less often than other people.

Methods

This report summarizes many research papers about the gaps in getting plastic surgery for Native American and First Nations people in the U.S. and Canada. It focuses on how common certain health problems are, the obstacles that stop people from getting help, and ideas on how to fix these issues. Researchers looked at scientific articles and official rules to find common patterns and proven ways to help.

Results

Cleft Palate

Indigenous children often live far from specialists. Some states, like North Dakota, have no accredited cleft centers, and many centers lack specialized surgeons. Untreated clefts can lead to lower school test scores because they affect speech and hearing.

Cancer Recovery Inequality

Trauma Cases by Racial/Ethnic Breakdown

Barriers to Care

Conclusions

Indigenous people have a high need for surgery but face many obstacles. Surgical equity means everyone deserves a fair chance at the best treatment. The field needs to find ways to help people get surgery right now, while also planning for the future. We need to train more doctors, build better hospitals, and make sure care is respectful of each person's culture. For surgery to be fair for everyone, medical schools, government leaders, and Indigenous communities must work together.

Future Directions