Dr. Gassner has been passionately engaged in humanitarian projects for many years. First missions to India were followed by engagements in Rwanda and Ghana. He has been closely cooperating with his friend and colleague Dr. Kofi Boahene of Johns Hopkins Medical Center. During the early trips, both focused on providing medical and surgical care to underpriviliged populations in developing countries. In the following years, the focus shifted to “leave something behind”. Current projects are designed to transfer capacity. Teaching and training are at the core of the efforts. Supported by the Canadian foundation “Face the Future“, a team mission to Kigali / Rwanda  takes place every year to train local surgeons in advanced techniques in reconstructive facial surgery. This project continues to be very successful: The team around Dr. Charles Furaha is managing a wide spectrum of congenital deformities, traumatic injuries, and burn injuries in children and adults.
The current core project is the development of a teaching hospital and surgical center in Accra, Ghana for those patients in need of highly specialized facial, head and neck and skull base surgery.  For this purpose, Dr. Gassner and Dr. Boahene have started two foundations: “Foundation for Special Surgery” und “Foundation for Special Surgery Europe”  A number of international experts have signalled their willingness to train local surgeons. A proper location has been identified, preliminary technical planning  has been completed. Please consider donating, we are grateful for your important contribution.