Uplift Internationale enters its third decade of consecutive missions this coming February. Last year an international cast with members from as far as Bahrain and the British Isles returned to the city of Roxas on Panay Island. The 2010 mission was a single site 10 day affair to the same site visited in 2009. Returning to Roxas allowed completion surgery on multiple complex cases started the year prior in addition to an entire phalanx of new cases.

Taghoy Mission 2011: Roxas City Summary Statistics

• Length of Mission: 5 surgical days (Monday 2/21 – Friday 2/25)
• Surgical teams: 3 surgical tables/teams (Mon-Thu); 2 surgical tables/teams (Fri)
• Nine Uplift Internationale (UI) teams (i.e., Registration, Demographics and Social History, Health and Family History, Pediatric Exam, Craniofacial Exam, Anesthesia, Speech Screening, Dental, Scheduling) evaluated 40 patients during the course of the 5-day period. Most patients were screened during the first day of the mission.
• Speech therapy/post-operative instructions and care were provided to all palate repair patients by Resy Pison, a local Speech Therapist.
• Of the 40 screened patients, 3 (7.5%) were not provided surgery primarily due to the presence of a comorbid condition (i.e., Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, and high fever). One patient was referred to a local dentist for orthodontic work in order for the patient to be eligible for surgery at a later date.
• Of the 37 remaining patients, 5 (13.5%) had non cleft-related procedures performed (i.e., non primary Cheiloplasty and Palatoplasty procedures). These procedures included: repair of Macrostomia, lip revision, hard palate fistula repair, Zplasty and mucosal wedge excision and repair of unilateral left alveolar.
• Of the 32 remaining patients:
  Avg age = 6.5 yrs; range 4 months – 24.6 years
  Gender: 46.9% female
  21 (65.6%) had a primary Cheiloplasty procedure performed solo
  11 (34.4%) had a Palatoplasty procedure performed solo
  No (0.0%) combination Cheiloplasty/Palatoplasty procedures were performed
• Of the 21 primary Cheiloplasty patients:
  • Avg age = 5.0 yrs; range 4 months – 15.3 years
  • Gender: 47.6% female
  • Cleft Type (left/right only; N=10): 30.0% Complete; 70.0% Incomplete
  • Cleft Palate Present (based on all 21 cases): 57.1%
  • 7 (33.3%) presented with a left sided cleft:
    • Avg age = 6.1 yrs; range 8 months – 14.7 years
    • 71.4% female
    • Type: 28.6% Complete; 71.4% Incomplete
    • Cleft Palate Present: 28.6%
  • 3 (14.3%) presented with a right sided cleft:
    • Avg age = 5.7 yrs; range 4 months – 15.3 years
    • 33.3% female
    • Type: 33.3% Complete; 66.7% Incomplete
    • Cleft Palate Present: 33.3% Yes
  • 11 (52.4%) presented with a bilateral cleft:
    • Avg age = 4.1 yrs; range 5 months – 12.6 years
    • 36.4% female
    • Cleft Palate Present: 81.8%
• Of the 11 Palatoplasty patients:
  • Avg age = 9.4 yrs; range 2.5 – 24.6 years
  • Gender: 45.5% female
  • None (0.0%) of the patients had Cheiloplasties performed during the Palatoplasty procedure
  • Three (27.3%) patients had Cheiloplasties previously performed.

Operation Taghoy 2011: The Mission Team