I lead a trip of cleft and craniofacial surgeons to India. Last year we went to Indore and Ujjain and performed 90 surgeries!
This year we are combining the two sites of Indore and Ujjain so that we can serve another community in Jaipur. Unfortunately the team who served Jaipur last year will not be returning. My team has gladly stepped up to take on the extra patients, as many families rely on this mission for their craniofacial care.
We serve both children, teenagers and adults. Our goal is to help anyone who has a facial deformity that we (safely) can in this setting. Last year we treated many kids with cleft lip and palate, as well as teenagers with cleft nasal deformites. We also treated disorders such as Tessier clefts, giant hairy nevi, burns, scars and traumatic injuries.
This will be my second year with this group and we are looking to add microtia as well as hemi facial microsomia.
My practice is largely reconstructive, so anything I learn in practice is taken to a mission trip and vice versa.
We partner with a medical school in Ujjain as well as three local surgeons in Indore. These local physicians learn from us, and help provide follow up care for the patients.
We take two otolaryngology residents on the trip as well so they can learn about these facial malformations as well.
My group is so passionate and committed to doing good, but finances are always an issue. Any help is appreciated!
Our team primarily focuses on pediatric Craniofacial surgery; cleft lip, cleft palate and microtia. We focus on these patients but try to help anyone, child or adult who comes to screening. We also treated some scars from burns, facial trauma, and rare facial abnormalities.
We operated at two camps, one in Indore India and the second in Jaipur India.
The experience was fantastic.
