Cleft surgery in East timor: the first four years

BACKGROUND: Following the vote for independence in 1999, this team commenced the first coherent reconstructive surgical service in East Timor. The aim of this paper is to report the cleft lip and palate surgical experience during the 4 years since independence. METHODS: From June 2000, a record of all cleft surgical procedures carried out by our team in East Timor has been maintained. This has been reviewed to identify the clinical experience, procedures carried out and the outcomes of the cleft population in this, the poorest and newest, nation in Asia. RESULTS: From the 519 reconstructive surgical procedures carried out by this team in East Timor during the first 4 years, 267 were for cleft lip and palate deformity. Cleft lip and nose repairs were most commonly undertaken, although over the period of the study increasing numbers of cleft palate repairs were evident, reflecting the developing confidence in the service by the local population. CONCLUSION: The establishment of a regular, consistent cleft lip and palate surgical team in East Timor has not only seen the successful correction of a large number of untreated cleft patients, but has also contributed to a restoration of trust in the newly developing health system in East Timor.