What ReSurge International does

ReSurge International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, founded in 1969 by Dr. Donald Laub as Interplast and rebranded under its current name in 2011. The organization addresses the global shortage of reconstructive surgeons — estimated at roughly one per 10 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa versus one per 50,000 in the United States — by training local surgical teams and providing free reconstructive surgical care to low-income patients in 18 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Conditions treated include burns, trauma injuries, cleft lips and palates, congenital anomalies such as radial hemimelia, missing digits, and cancer reconstruction. Care is delivered primarily through a deployed network of 20 Surgical Outreach Partners and three anchor teaching hospital partnerships (Stanford/Parirenyatwa in Zimbabwe, Northwestern/AIC Kijabe in Kenya, and Johns Hopkins/Kiruddu in Uganda) under the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) regional curriculum.

The organization's core methodology is a proprietary train-the-trainer model in which locally trained surgeons become trainers themselves, with peer-reviewed Stanford research quantifying that a single trained surgeon directly treats approximately 10,000 patients over their career and that a surgeon who becomes a trainer can ultimately impact more than 400,000 patients through multigenerational ripple effects. Technology infrastructure combines in-person Surgical Team Training Trips with a virtual telementoring platform (live virtual lectures, a free online lecture database) and an Ohana One partnership (2021) integrating augmented reality smart glasses for real-time intraoperative mentoring. ReSurge also runs the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program with SkinCeuticals (L'Oréal) addressing gender inequity (only ~7% of surgeons in Sub-Saharan Africa are women), and has produced the first textbook of global reconstructive surgery and a Stanford-co-developed Generational Impact Measurement Framework published in PRS Global Open in 2024.

ReSurge generates revenue through individual donations, monthly giving, foundation and government grants (e.g., a $4 million award for surgical equipment in Nepal and Vietnam), corporate partnerships, and in-kind contributions — the last of which constitutes roughly half of revenue, primarily through donated time from volunteer surgeons affiliated with Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Yale, UCSF, and Columbia. All patient care is provided free of charge at a cost of approximately $1,000 per patient, with 85% of the budget going directly to medical programs according to an independent audit. In 2024, ReSurge served 31,087 patients and trained 8,764 medical professionals with 101 volunteers from 10 countries, and in July 2025 the organization acquired Physicians for Peace Programs to further expand its training capacity.

Name

ReSurge International

Legal name

ReSurge International

Website

https://resurge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ReSurge International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 that builds reconstructive surgical capacity in 18 low-income countries by training local surgeons and delivering free care through 20 Surgical Outreach Partners across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Reconstructive Surgery Services

NAICS

Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers (621493), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Women’s & Children’s Surgical Care Centers (HLAFAJAM)

Keywords

• Reconstructive surgery training
• Global surgical capacity building
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Train-the-trainer model
• Free surgical care

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunnyvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: ReSurge generates revenue primarily through individual donor contributions, monthly giving programs, and one-time donations from supporters worldwide.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships such as SkinCeuticals (L'Oreal) for PWRS program, pro bono creative services from Ogilvy Health, and in-kind donations of medical supplies from healthcare corporations.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Grants from foundations and government agencies, including a $4 million award for surgical equipment in Nepal and Vietnam.
4. Volunteer Services (In-Kind): Medical volunteers donate their time and expertise. Approximately half of revenue is in the form of donated goods and services, including volunteer medical professional time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ReSurge International provides free reconstructive surgical care to low-income patients in 18+ countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and builds long-term surgical capacity by training local surgeons through a train-the-trainer model. Programs include direct patient care, Surgical Outreach Partners, surgical team training trips, virtual telementoring (with augmented reality smart glasses via Ohana One), and the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program. The core offering is delivered free of charge to patients and funded through donations, grants, corporate sponsorships, and in-kind volunteer medical services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surgical Outreach Partners Program Program that identifies, trains, and certifies local surgeons in low-income countries as ReSurge Surgical Outreach Partners who provide free reconstructive surgery to patients in their communities year-round. ReSurge currently has 20 partners across 18+ countries.
• Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) Program providing clinical training, leadership development, and mentorship to first-generation women reconstructive surgeons in low-income countries. Each PWRS cohort is projected to impact 162,000 patients over their careers. Funded in partnership with SkinCeuticals (L'Oreal).
• Surgical Team Training Trips (Visiting Educator Program) Hybrid in-person and virtual training program in which volunteer surgeons from Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Yale, UCSF, and Columbia travel to partner hospitals to work side-by-side with local surgical teams, facilitating approximately 20 teaching cases per week. Delivered 22-fold ROI per 2019 Stanford study.
• Virtual Telementoring and eLearning Platform Technology-enabled remote training connecting isolated surgical teams with expert mentors through live virtual lectures, a library of hundreds of free recorded lectures, and augmented reality smart glasses (in partnership with Ohana One) for real-time intraoperative guidance.
• ReSurge International Program in Africa (RIPA) Regional reconstructive surgery training program in partnership with the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA), delivering a standardized reconstructive surgery curriculum and lecture series across 14 African countries.
• Direct Patient Care Free reconstructive surgical care provided to patients in 18+ low-income countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, treating burns, trauma injuries, cleft lips and palates, missing digits, cancer reconstruction, and congenital conditions. Over 85% of surgeries are performed by local partners. Cost to serve a patient is approximately $1,000.
• Physicians for Peace Programs Reconstructive surgery training programs acquired from Physicians for Peace in July 2025, extending ReSurge's program portfolio and training capacity in global reconstructive surgery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 trained surgeon treats 10,000 patients directly over their career
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Physicians for PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ReSurge acquired Physicians for Peace programs in July 2025, expanding surgical training capacity.
• Ogilvy HealthcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Developed the pro bono 'Closing the Gap' public awareness campaign which won multiple creative awards including Bronze Effie and Bronze Clio.
• Papaya FilmscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Co-produced the Closing the Gap campaign video content.
• Ohana One International Surgical AidflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Partnership to incorporate augmented reality smart glasses technology in operating rooms, allowing mentors to instruct in real-time during procedures in the field.
• COSECSA (College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to launch the ReSurge International Program in Africa (RIPA) and create the first-ever comprehensive reconstructive surgery curriculum and lecture series across 14 African countries.
• Stanford University / Parirenyatwa Hospital ZimbabwecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Long-term partnership between Stanford University and Parirenyatwa Hospital in Zimbabwe for surgical training.
• Northwestern University / AIC Kijabe Hospital KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Long-term partnership between Northwestern University and AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya for surgical training.
• Johns Hopkins University / Kiruddu Hospital UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Long-term partnership between Johns Hopkins University and Kiruddu Hospital in Uganda for surgical training.
• SkinCeuticals (L'Oreal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership to launch the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWRS) program. SkinCeuticals provides funding and support for training, leadership development, and mentorship for first-generation women reconstructive surgeons in low-income countries. Each PWRS cohort is projected to impact 162,000 patients over their careers.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. James Chang serves as Consulting Medical Officer. World-class volunteer surgeons from Stanford participate in training programs. Collaborated on research quantifying generational impact of surgical training.
• UCSF (University of California San Francisco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class volunteer surgeons from UCSF participate in training trips. Dr. George Gregory founded the pediatric anesthesiology program at UCSF.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class volunteer surgeons from Johns Hopkins participate in training programs and hospital partnerships.
• Yale UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class volunteer surgeons from Yale participate in training programs.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class volunteer surgeons from Columbia participate in training programs.
• America Nepal Medical FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Skin Bank established at Kirtipur Hospital in Nepal through ReSurge's Dr. Shankar Rai program.
• G4 Alliance (Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anaesthesia Care)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReSurge helped establish G4 Alliance with 20 other organizations dedicated to providing a voice for neglected surgical patients worldwide.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smile Train: Global nonprofit that funds free cleft lip and palate surgeries and trains local surgeons in low- and middle-income countries. Most directly comparable to ReSurge by mission, training-first model, and patient population.
• Operation Smile: International nonprofit providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries and training local medical professionals in low-income countries. Closely matches ReSurge on surgical focus, training model, and geographic footprint.
• Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships to deliver free surgical care and train local healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to ReSurge on surgical capacity-building mission in low-income countries.
• CURE International: Operates pediatric specialty surgical hospitals and teaching programs in low- and middle-income countries, with a strong emphasis on training local surgeons. Highly comparable model and patient population to ReSurge.

Broad incumbents

• Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières): International medical humanitarian organization providing emergency and surgical care in low-income and crisis settings. ReSurge overlaps on free surgical care delivery but is more focused on training rather than direct emergency response.
• Partners in Health: Global health nonprofit providing comprehensive care and training in resource-poor settings, with significant surgical components. Broader than ReSurge in scope but shares the long-term capacity-building philosophy.
• International Medical Corps: Global humanitarian organization delivering healthcare services and training in conflict and disaster-affected countries. Comparable in providing training and direct health services in resource-constrained settings.

Others

• Seed Global Health: Nonprofit that strengthens healthcare workforce capacity in low-resource countries by training local doctors, nurses, and midwives. Comparable in capacity-building and training focus, but not surgical-specialty focused.

Emerging players

• Global Smile Foundation: Nonprofit that provides free cleft and craniofacial surgical care and trains local healthcare providers in underserved regions. Direct niche overlap with ReSurge on reconstructive surgery and training, but smaller scale.
• Medical Teams International: Faith-based humanitarian organization delivering medical and dental care and training in disaster-affected and low-income communities. Comparable in providing volunteer-driven surgical and training services, with somewhat smaller surgical specialty footprint than ReSurge.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/resurge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyLBiNEWFpad6f6RGtAg7cQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/resurge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resurge-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/resurgeinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ReSurge International