Sri Lankan Cleft Lip and Palate Project: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

By means of a surgical expedition involving an independently financed team of surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, orthodontists and speech therapists, 195 patients in Sri Lanka with cleft lip and palate were treated over a period of 4 weeks while over 300 patients were examined in detail to assess faciomaxillary growth, components of speech and the psychosocial impact of the untreated deformity in childhood and adult life. Lip surgery proved to be simple and safe but in certain older patients palatal closure was complicated by wide palatal shelf displacement, mucosal fibrosis and heavy bleeding. This is a preliminary report and much data has yet to be analysed but there is little doubt that impaired facial growth following palatal repair is predominantly an iatrogenic deformity.