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Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar

Received: 28 June 2021    Accepted: 15 July 2021    Published: 18 August 2021
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Abstract

Non-syndromic orofacial clefts are significantly linked to socioeconomic status. Because of limited access to proper medical care in rural areas of developing countries charity missions are highly required to mitigate negative outcome, but there is still a lack of data on humanitarian missions’ sustainability and success. A retrospective analysis of 125 patients who underwent cleft surgery during humanitarian missions in Myanmar was performed. Patients’ satisfaction with facial features and function was evaluated pre- and post-surgery. Furthermore, postoperative complications and satisfaction with follow-up care have been analyzed. Between 2008 and 2020 125 patients underwent cleft surgery by the Interplast team. The median patient’s age was 2,58 years (mean=7 years) with a range of 3 months to 54 years. Group 1 (patients with cleft lip only, n=58) was analyzed on satisfaction with facial aspects and significant improvement was found. All 125 patients were evaluated regarding function features like eating or drinking and their post-surgical satisfaction was significantly higher than before surgery. To analyze if hearing and nasal breathing difficulties in patients with cleft palate can be decreased by primary cleft surgery these parameters were analyzed in group 2 (n=67). Group 2 as well reported significant improvement. Even with limited medical infrastructure and later primary surgery than in developed countries, cleft surgeries can be performed successfully and sustainable by integrating local surgeons in charity missions. Patients benefit greatly by these missions and further investigation on humanitarian cleft missions should be conducted.

Published in International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13
Page(s) 28-35
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Orofacial Cleft, Cleft Surgery, Humanitarian Mission, Foundation-Based Medical Care, Interplast, Cleft Follow-up, Myanmar, Sustainability

References
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[24] Thomas PT, Turner SR, Rumsey N, et al. Satisfaction with facial appearance among subjects affected by a cleft. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal 1997; 34: 226–31; PMID: 9167073; http://dx.doi.org/10.1597/1545-1569_1997_034_0226_swfaas_2.3.co_2.
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    Milena Pejkovic, Martin Gosau Heinrich Schoeneich, Khin Marlar Win, Thiha Wyain, Heinrich Schoeneich, et al. (2021). Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar. International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 7(2), 28-35. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13

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    ACS Style

    Milena Pejkovic; Martin Gosau Heinrich Schoeneich; Khin Marlar Win; Thiha Wyain; Heinrich Schoeneich, et al. Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar. Int. J. Clin. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2021, 7(2), 28-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13

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    AMA Style

    Milena Pejkovic, Martin Gosau Heinrich Schoeneich, Khin Marlar Win, Thiha Wyain, Heinrich Schoeneich, et al. Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar. Int J Clin Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021;7(2):28-35. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13,
      author = {Milena Pejkovic and Martin Gosau Heinrich Schoeneich and Khin Marlar Win and Thiha Wyain and Heinrich Schoeneich and Philipp Kauffmann and Silke Haerteis and Lukas Prantl and Paul Immanuel Heidekrueger and Thiha Aung},
      title = {Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar},
      journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery},
      volume = {7},
      number = {2},
      pages = {28-35},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcoms.20210702.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcoms.20210702.13},
      abstract = {Non-syndromic orofacial clefts are significantly linked to socioeconomic status. Because of limited access to proper medical care in rural areas of developing countries charity missions are highly required to mitigate negative outcome, but there is still a lack of data on humanitarian missions’ sustainability and success. A retrospective analysis of 125 patients who underwent cleft surgery during humanitarian missions in Myanmar was performed. Patients’ satisfaction with facial features and function was evaluated pre- and post-surgery. Furthermore, postoperative complications and satisfaction with follow-up care have been analyzed. Between 2008 and 2020 125 patients underwent cleft surgery by the Interplast team. The median patient’s age was 2,58 years (mean=7 years) with a range of 3 months to 54 years. Group 1 (patients with cleft lip only, n=58) was analyzed on satisfaction with facial aspects and significant improvement was found. All 125 patients were evaluated regarding function features like eating or drinking and their post-surgical satisfaction was significantly higher than before surgery. To analyze if hearing and nasal breathing difficulties in patients with cleft palate can be decreased by primary cleft surgery these parameters were analyzed in group 2 (n=67). Group 2 as well reported significant improvement. Even with limited medical infrastructure and later primary surgery than in developed countries, cleft surgeries can be performed successfully and sustainable by integrating local surgeons in charity missions. Patients benefit greatly by these missions and further investigation on humanitarian cleft missions should be conducted.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Sustainability and Success of Cleft Surgery in Developing Countries: Satisfaction Outcome of 125 Patients Operated in Myanmar
    AU  - Milena Pejkovic
    AU  - Martin Gosau Heinrich Schoeneich
    AU  - Khin Marlar Win
    AU  - Thiha Wyain
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    T2  - International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    JF  - International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    JO  - International Journal of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    AB  - Non-syndromic orofacial clefts are significantly linked to socioeconomic status. Because of limited access to proper medical care in rural areas of developing countries charity missions are highly required to mitigate negative outcome, but there is still a lack of data on humanitarian missions’ sustainability and success. A retrospective analysis of 125 patients who underwent cleft surgery during humanitarian missions in Myanmar was performed. Patients’ satisfaction with facial features and function was evaluated pre- and post-surgery. Furthermore, postoperative complications and satisfaction with follow-up care have been analyzed. Between 2008 and 2020 125 patients underwent cleft surgery by the Interplast team. The median patient’s age was 2,58 years (mean=7 years) with a range of 3 months to 54 years. Group 1 (patients with cleft lip only, n=58) was analyzed on satisfaction with facial aspects and significant improvement was found. All 125 patients were evaluated regarding function features like eating or drinking and their post-surgical satisfaction was significantly higher than before surgery. To analyze if hearing and nasal breathing difficulties in patients with cleft palate can be decreased by primary cleft surgery these parameters were analyzed in group 2 (n=67). Group 2 as well reported significant improvement. Even with limited medical infrastructure and later primary surgery than in developed countries, cleft surgeries can be performed successfully and sustainable by integrating local surgeons in charity missions. Patients benefit greatly by these missions and further investigation on humanitarian cleft missions should be conducted.
    VL  - 7
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Author Information
  • Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

  • Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Eppendorf University Hospital, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

  • Department of Plastic and Maxillo-Facial and Oral Surgery, University of Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar

  • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Dental Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar

  • Interplast Germany, Section Munich, Munich, Germany

  • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Georgia Augusta University, G?ttingen, Germany

  • Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

  • Centre of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

  • Centre of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

  • Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

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