New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI/SRV): Heritage Hospitals, located in Lanka, Varanasi, India, in association with Smile Train Project (USA), successfully completed its 16,000th free surgery for cleft lip and palate. Deformations in the lips and palate region of the mouth are common among children, and surgery is necessary to correct them. Cleft lip and palate surgeries are complex procedures conducted by plastic surgeons, making them unaffordable to most people who are economically disadvantaged. To help parents of children with cleft deformations provide surgical treatment to their wards, Heritage Hospitals and Smile Train Project have offered free surgeries by Dr Sanjeev Sharma, an expert plastic surgeon in India.

Dr Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, the Programme Director of the Smile Train Project, performed the 16000th surgery at Heritage Hospitals, a well-known multi-speciality centre in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in Northern India. Dr Sharma said about the project and its outcomes, "Cleft lip and cleft palate are prevalent in India. In addition to aesthetic challenges, it causes problems while talking, breathing, eating, and drinking. Correcting cleft lip and palate as soon as it is identified ensures a speedy recovery and healthy child development.

He added, "I am honoured to have performed cleft lip and palate surgeries on thousands of children whose parents cannot afford the treatment. Thanks to Smile Train Project and Heritage Hospitals, our team has literally made children and their parents smile." Considering cleft lip and palate are the most common congenital disabilities, the prevalence of these deformities is very high in India. Funded projects like this help plastic surgeons like Dr Sharma make treatment accessible to everyone.



Anshuman Rai, Managing Director of Heritage Hospitals, explained the situation. He said, "Our institution has been at the forefront of helping disadvantaged communities access different treatments. Our world-class medical and surgical infrastructure enables us to collaborate with venerable projects like the Smile Train Project. We are delighted to announce that we have completed 16000 free cleft lip and palate surgeries at our facilities here in Varanasi. It is a pride for our hospital and our ancient and beautiful city." He added, "We provide comprehensive cleft care by our cleft team consisting of a Surgeon, Trained cleft OT assistants, Cleft nurses, Speech therapists and Nutritionists."

Parents of babies born with a cleft are often distressed and do not have enough information regarding its correction. It is an easily treatable condition but requires competent plastic surgeons to work on it. This ensures that the child's developmental milestones are not affected by a deformity and that it grows into a normal and healthy child and adult. It is important to note that cleft lip and palate surgeries result in minimal to no scarring. If scarring occurs, it can be managed by plastic surgery interventions at a later stage. Heritage Hospitals also provide free services for speech and nutrition as post-surgery care.

Heritage Hospitals was established in 1994 in Lanka, Varanasi, as the region's first organized corporate multi-disciplinary super-speciality hospital. Located in eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal), Heritage Hospitals has been at the forefront of medical and surgical interventions spanning several specialities. The hospital focuses on working with distinguished medical faculty and is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic, treatment, and surgical facilities. Heritage Hospitals has the only National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab in the Varanasi region.

Website - https://heritagehospitals.com

Email - media@heritagehospitals.com

Contact - Brijesh Tiwari, PRO Smile Train: 097941-13024

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