Aira Hospital

Cleft lip is a common congenital malformation which can be corrected surgically. A person with cleft lip is often harassed by children, neighbors and people in the street, causing withdrawal and social isolation. Children with this deformity are often kept isolated in the house and will not be allowed to attend school. Many people with cleft lip in the countryside do not come to the hospital for medical help because they are not aware that the condition can be corrected surgically, or because they cannot afford the treatment - or both.

At Aira Hospital the cleft lip repair is performed under local anesthesia for adults and general intubation anesthesia for children, often as a daycare procedure without admission.

 Since the beginning of 2010 we have enjoyed the great honour and pleasure to be partners with the world’s largest cleft charity organisation “SMILE TRAIN”. Thanks to the financial support from that organisation the hospital is able to offer free surgery for all cleft patients. A tremendous help that makes it possible to do staged repairs, second repair and cleft palate surgery which neither the patients nor the hospital could afford previously.

For the unilateral cleft lip a repair with lower lateral triangular flap is used.

For the bilateral cleft lip either a staged unilateral repair with 3 months interval or a one stage bilateral straight lip repair is performed

Here are some few examples of patients operated in Aira Hospital: