Volunteer Cleft Surgery in Colombia: An 18-Year Perspective

Purpose To report the clinical findings and sociologic impressions of a volunteer surgical group's 18-year experience in Colombia. Methods Data were collected originally on hard copy and later in a customized database from the epidemiologic, anatomic, and surgical particulars of 2,410 patients with cleft undergoing 2,558 surgeries and analyzed retrospectively. Results This population exhibited an unusually high incidence of isolated soft palate compared with complete cleft palate and the highest incidence yet reported of bilateral cleft defects. Only 11 potentially life-threatening anesthesia or surgical urgencies or emergencies ensued in the 2,727 total operations, and no fatalities occurred. The sociologic and interprofessional gains of these volunteer efforts have been significant, but actual measurement of the speech, nutritional, psychological, and sociological gains of cleft surgery in this population are yet to be determined. Conclusion This review shows the imperfect, but nonetheless overwhelmingly beneficial benefits that can be provided by volunteer surgical groups in developing nations.