-: Smile train project :-

Padhar Hospital is a recognised centre of the Smile Train Express, a US based organization, which treats all cleft lip palate deformity patients free of cost. Over the years we have developed a team of plastic surgeons - headed by Dr Rajiv Choudhrie - that performs all types of cleft lip or palate surgeries all around the year.

Cleft lip and palate are congenital anomalies and occur in approximately 1 in 700 live births. Boys are twice as much affected as girls. Cleft occurs either on right or left side of the lip but can also occur on both sides together. Anomalies may involve a single cleft of the lip or together with the cleft of the alveolus and/or a cleft of the hard and soft palate.

Cleft lip can be of diverged severity. It can occur as a mild minor depression or line at the phitral ridge or it can be a complete cleft of the lip, alveolus and palate. Rarely, cleft can occur at different places all around the mouth and extend to the craniofacial skeleton. Such rare cleft may extend from lip to nose, lip to eyes and lip to ears and very rarely may be present in the lower lip. All kinds of cleft lips and palates and other rare craniofacial clefts can be treated with minimal scars. Cleft lip is best operated at the age of 3-6 months, while cleft palate is best operated at the age of 9-12 months.

The German Surgery team from Hamburg University –headed by Prof Thomas Kreusch and Dr Martin Sprengel, two eminent maxillofacial surgeons and their excellent team, have been visiting our hospital every year and help us perform surgeries.

Recently we organised the 16th cleft lip palate camp from October to December 2009. We operated around 102 cases in 6 days which compromised an entirety of cleft lip palate and craniofacial anomalies. We are one of few hospitals who perform an enormous number of Smile Train sponsored cleft surgery in India.

In October 2010 we will again organise such a successful camp for treating anyone who suffers from cleft lip anomalies.

Padhar Hospital has become a well known centre of plastic surgery where patients from all over the country flock for treatment.

To keep our uphold our hospital’s catchment area we hold periphery camps in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh all around the year.

Information for the patients

All the charges of travel, food, accommodation and operation of the patient and one accompanying parent are covered by the hospital. Patients should make arrangements for a stay of one week to ten days. Once the anaesthetic and paediatric check up and fitness is obtained, we perform the surgery at the earliest possible date. Suture removal for all lip surgeries are done on the 7th post operative day. Palate patients are observed for 5 days and discharged. Suture removal is not necessary when the sutures are self absorbing.