From 24-28 July at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg, Operation Smile provided life-changing surgery for 40 children affected by cleft lip and cleft palate. The weekend surgical programme was part of the first Madiba Smile Relay, a collaboration between Operation Smile, Smile Foundation and Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which aimed to provide world class surgery free of charge for 67 children, in honour of Madiba’s 67-year struggle for social justice.
Most of the tiny patients came from Gauteng, although some travelled from as far away as the North West and Northern Cape. All of them, along with their parents or guardians, received compassionate care and support, free of charge, thanks to the amazing generosity of our partners and donors.
The programme kicked off on Wednesday 24 July, with the first Cleft Surgery Education Day for qualified surgeons and surgical registrars. Lecturers included some of South Africa’s foremost Plastic, Reconstructive and Maxillofacial professors and doctors, including Professor Anil Madaree (UKZN), Professor Saleigh Adams (UCT), Professor Tim Christofides (WITS), Professor Risimati Rikhotso (WITS), Professor Emad Ghabrial (UP) and Dr Bruce Lelala.
Most of the children received cleft lip and cleft palate surgery during the weekend programme at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.
Patient Screening
Patient screening got underway at 9am on Friday 26 July. Altogether, 61 children under 12 years were screened and 40 were scheduled for surgery. Those patients not approved for surgery received a referral letter or were placed on the priority list of Operation Smile’s next surgical programme.
Safe Surgeries
The first day of surgery on Saturday 27 July started with a pre-surgery meeting and emergency preparedness drill, with the first patient on the table at 8:30. In total 21 safe surgeries were completed at the end of a long but exhilarating day.
On the third and final day, the Operation Smile team again worked a full day, performing another 19 surgeries to bring the total to 40. Among the operations performed were cleft lip, cleft palate and dental procedures. There was a strong focus on education and training, with 15 surgeons (plastic and maxillofacial) observing across the two surgery days.
The programme ended with a thank you dinner, which included messages of thanks for the Operation Smile team from the hospital CEO, Dr Nkuli Boikhotso and celebration of this collaboration by Smile Foundation’s Chairman, Marc Lubner.
The final education and training activity for this programme was a dental workshop and obturator training for 10 dental volunteers, presented in partnership with the University of Pretoria’s Oral Health Sciences Department at Steve Biko Oral and Dental Health School.
Hope … and joy on the faces of parents, as children receive life-changing surgery during the weekend surgical programme.
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