CSR campaign ‘Spreading Smiles’ backed by German technologies brings relief to children with cleft lips
Pune : The CSR campaign by SaiShree Vitalife Hospital in collaboration with Germany based SORG (Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group) is bringing relief to children with cleft lips and cleft palates. A team of doctors from SORG group are on their third visit to India, this time at the newly opened Saishree Vitalife Hospital Wakad. The earlier two visits were at the Saishree Units in Aundh .The primary cleft lip and palate surgeries are being done free of cost while in case of secondary cleft surgeries at later stage the instruments like Rigid External devices, distractors are taken care of by the hospital .SORG( Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group) is an educational institute which is globally renowned, pioneering body that develops guidelines and advanced treatment protocols for Oral Cancer surgery maxillofacial trauma, cleft care, and jaw surgery. Saishree Vitalife Hospital, 305 beds multi-speciality hospital at wakad, is part of the Saishree Vitalife Group, a rapidly growing healthcare network with 6 clinics and 3 hospitals under its umbrella.Prof. Dr P.A.W.H. Kessler,Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgeon and Head of the University of Maastricht, Dr. Veronique Timmer,. Dr. Nynke Lie Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon from Maastricht, Netherlands , Dr. Saruchi Agrawal, Indian Chairman, SORG (Salsberg Osteosynthesis Research Group), Dr. Neeraj Adkar, Chairman, Saishree Vitalife Group and Dr. Pushkar Waknis Head of Department- Maxillofacial surgery gave information about the collaboration and the CSR campaign.Dr. Pushkar Waknis Head of Department- Maxillofacial surgery gave information about the collaboration and the CSR campaign said that we started this campaign in 2012 after I had met Dr. Kessler in the Netherlands and he expressed his willingness to collaborate for the campaign.A cleft lip is a common birth defect with an opening in the upper lip, occurring when facial tissues don't fuse early in pregnancy, sometimes extending into the nose and often alongside a cleft palate (opening in the roof of the mouth). In the case of a cleft palate, the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy.The ideal age for primary cleft lip surgery is between the age of three to six months and for cleft palate surgery is nine to eighteen months old. Delays in cleft surgery can lead to speech difficulties, hearing loss and occlusion issues, and decreased quality of life for children with clefts. Clefts occur across all socio-economic groupsDr. Neeraj Adkar, Chairman, Saishree Vitalife Group said that around 150 kids have benefited mostly by word of mouth, we want to take this campaign further as cleft lip surgeries are crucial in the development of the children with this birth defect .Dr. Pushkar Waknis added that newer refinement in techniques are bringing more accuracy and better outcomes in surgeries including Distraction osteogenesis (DO) The Rigid External Device (RED) by KLS MartinDistraction osteogenesis (DO) is a surgical technique used to lengthen bones by performing an osteotomy and gradually separating the bone segments so new bone forms in between. Using internal or external distractor devices, DO enables precise correction of deformities in the jaws, limbs, and skull while simultaneously promoting growth of surrounding soft tissues such as skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. The process includes latency, distraction, and consolidation phases, producing stable, permanent results without the need for bone grafts, and is especially valuable in craniofacial surgery and airway management.The Rigid External Device (RED) is a special tool used to move the upper jaw forward in people with severe midface underdevelopment, often caused by cleft lip or palate. Doctors attach a metal frame to the jaw and slowly adjust it each day. This gentle movement helps new bone grow, improving facial appearance, breathing, and eating. It treats bone growth problems, not the lip itself, and is part of team-based cleft care.The RED frames are donated by Germany based surgical device manufacturer KLS Martin.Dr. Saruchi Agrawal, Chairman, SORG India Chapter (Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group) said that we main objective of SORG India is to offer postgraduate courses and training events for surgeons in training as well as experienced surgeons in the field of modern maxillofacial surgery, including cleft lip surgeries, fracture of face bones and oral cancer reconstruction of jaw bones.
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