Organisation puts smiles on faces for decades
Operation Smile South Africa also offers patients post-surgery support such as access to speech pathology experts, as well as dental and feeding and nutrition programmers.
EVERY three minutes, a child is born somewhere in the world with a cleft lip or cleft palate; about one in 500-750 births.
A medical service organisation, Operation Smile South Africa (OSSA), based in Cape Town, provides free cleft lip and cleft palate reconstructive surgery.
“Since inception in Africa in 2006, its medical volunteers have provided over 6,000 free surgeries to children and adults throughout Southern and Central Africa,” said coordinator, Ronel Visagie.
“The cost to repair a child’s cleft condition is R5500 and it’s takes our medical volunteers as little as 45 minutes,” she said.
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What is a cleft?
A cleft is a medical condition and can be repaired through surgery. In an ideal situation, a paediatrician and a plastic surgeon work with a child’s parents soon after the child’s birth to choose the best timing for surgery. Most surgeons agree that a cleft lip should be repaired within the first three to six months after birth, and that a cleft palate should be repaired between the ages of 12 and 18 months. Depending on the severity of the cleft, a child may undergo multiple surgeries as they grow and develop.
“A cleft is a gap in the mouth that didn’t close during the early stages of pregnancy, and this kind of birth defect happens more often than you may realise,” said Visagie.
Sometimes, a cleft can be easy to see because it’s an opening in the lip. However, it can be harder to know if someone has a cleft condition when it affects the roof of the mouth, which is called the palate.
The cause
The exact cause is unknown however most experts agree genetics and family history, pre-existing medical conditions, poor nutrition and exposure to harmful environmental substances can affect the healthy development of a baby. As a result, these factors could also be the cause of a baby born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Research is ongoing to better understand all the genes involved in the formation of a cleft condition and the interaction of these genes with the environment, hoping to avoid clefts from happening someday.
“Depending on the type and severity, a cleft can create serious health issues if not corrected. Babies can have difficulty with feeding, which in some parts of the world can lead to malnutrition, or even starvation. Ear infections can occur – and recurring ear infections can lead to hearing loss. Dental development can be affected. Speech and language development can also be impaired. Children may also suffer from bullying and social isolation, ” she said.
Patient story
When Mercy was born, Elina, her mom was very concerned about the health and future of her baby. Elina was reassured by a doctor who told her about Operation Smile’s work in the country. She made contact with Operation Smile and Mercy received her life-changing surgery.
To get involve or donate a smile:
Website: www.southafrica.operationsmile.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationsmileZA
Instagram: www.instagram.com/opsmilesa
Twitter: www.twitter.com/OpSmileSA
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