About 650 people will have new faces thanks to an India-born US-based doctor Sharad Kumar Dicksheet who started a five-day free plastic surgery camp in Hyderabad on Thursday. The camp is being organized by IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association and CDR Hospitals.

Dr Dicksheet had been conducting such free camps in the country for the last 19 years and had performed about 70,000 operations so far. Besides the 650 operations in Hyderabad, he will undertake 350 reconstructive surgeries in Visakhapatnam from January 7 to 9, 2003.

Having survived two heart attacks and terminal larynx cancer, Dr Dicksheet operates from a wheelchair. He is being supported by a team of plastic surgeons from the US. In his absence, a team of three surgeons from a Trust in the US, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, would be visiting the country regularly to continue the work. The Trust would take care of the expenses.

Asked whether he would like to teach his technique to others, Dr Dicksheet said his technique was open to anyone. "My time is limited and I would prefer treating maximum number of patients and not to spend time on teaching." The special thing about his technique is that he corrects major facial disfigurements such as cleft lip within no time.

He introduced his daughter Supriya who would be joining medicine in the New York State University soon and subsequently take over his mantle by specialising in plastic surgery.

He was awarded Kellogs Hannah Neil World of Children Award 2001 and The Handhan Award 2002 for his dedication in providing free corrective surgery to children in India.