The Ecuadent Foundation, working with the Navy of Ecuador and Hospital San Vicente de Paúl, completed a medical mission in the city of Pasaje (Province El Oro), Ecuador. A total of 53 patients were treated.
Ecuadent utilized three OR rooms at Pasaje’s hospital during the mission. An Ecuadent plastic surgeon occupied each one. Surgeons included: Dr. David Kung, Dr. Oliver Simmons, and Dr. Michael Christy.
Ecuadent also provided 55 speech therapy sessions for a total of 48 patients. Ms. Yanchuleff trained cleft lip and palate surgery patients and their parents with exercises that could be completed once the patients healed from surgery to improve their speech. She also counseled cleft lip and palate patients that were not candidates for surgery and she also saw several patients with other syndromes including Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
Ecuadent’s volunteers also trained local nurses and physicians regarding neo-natal care as well post-operative care for cleft lip and palate patients.
A more detailed breakdown of the surgeries is below:
Cleft Lip: 14
Cleft Palate: 16
Frenulectomy: 2
Thyroglossal Duct Cyst: 1
Scar Revisions: 10
Periostoplasty: 1
Polydactyly: 4
Syndactyly: 3
Otoplasty: 2