August 16-22, 2026, Operation International’s Cleft Repair Team will return to Hue, Vietnam for our fourth surgery mission in the region. Our team will be serving poor patients in the central and highland regions around Hue. We hope to provide life changing cleft lip and palate repairs for patients who would otherwise have no access to these surgical services.
Untreated cleft lip and palate leads to lifelong feeding and speech difficulties, recurrent infections, social isolation, and reduced economic opportunities. Our team plans to provide cleft lip and palate repair to 50 patients from Hue and surrounding provinces. In most setting, these surgeries are performed within the first year of life; however, in Hue, many patients live with these conditions well into adulthood due to lack of access to care.
The mission will have immediate, life changing impact by providing cleft lip and palate repair to 50 patients who otherwise would not have access to care, helping improve feeding, speech, overall health, and social integration. Beyond the surgeries, our team will work closely with local surgeons, anesthetists and nurses to share practical skills so care can continue after we leave.
I had an incredible trip to Vietnam with the Operation International Team. I personally was involved in 25 surgeries- but our group in total performed over 50. We treated individuals from both Vietnam and Laos- who traveled from extremely far and went through great lengths to come see us and seek treatment. Multiple patients underwent bony jaw surgery which was previously unheard of in these regions. Other patients were older kids and young adults who were undergoing surgery for the first time. Families were incredibly grateful to our team and we felt so privileged to be able to help their loved ones.
This experience was invaluable and I would hope to be fortunate enough to be involved with these teams again.
