Surgery of 346 patients with unoperated cleft lip and palate in Sri Lanka.

By means of a surgical expedition involving an independently financed team of surgeons, anesthetists and nurses, 410 operations were performed on 346 patients in the course of 52 operating days. This paper describes the preoperative, operative, and postoperative scenarios and how clinical practice was tailored to adapt to a new environment without compromising standards. The differences between operating on the lip and palate in the adult compared to younger children are highlighted. The clinical research implications are more evident from other papers on this topic published in this journal, but the enlightenment of working and teaching in a third world country cannot be underestimated.