Boy with cleft palate gets free surgery

CEBU, Philippines - A Brisbane doctor has given a five-year-old boy from the Camotes Islands, Cebu something to smile about after the successful reconstructive surgery for a complex craniofacial cleft for free in Mater Children’s Private Hospital Brisbane, Australia.

The nature of Lionard James Narte Estrera’s condition reportedly increased infection rates in his eyes and created problems for his teeth as well as affecting his facial features, as the bone structure was not formed correctly.

“James’s condition is a bit unusual. It’s a complex facial cleft which instead of just affecting the lip goes right up to his eyes making it more difficult to treat in his home country,” said Dr. Richard Lewandowski in a report posted on Mater’s website.”

“Essentially, he has little structure underneath his skin and he still has issues with his eyes which will ultimately give him grief over time. These are all things we repair surgically regularly in Australia but may not get repaired regularly in the Philippines,” he adds.

Dr. Lewandowski, Mater’s Director of Surgical Services, and Anesthetist Jason Schoutrop have donated their time while Mater is waiving costs associated with the procedure.

Estrera, an Operation Smile Medical Mission patient from the Camotes Islands, departed July 17, for Australia with his mother, Wendelyn, sponsored by a charitable organization, Operation Smile Australia Ltd.

They stayed with host family Jackie and Gary Arnold, both Mater employees, until they returned to the Philippines on August 15.

Estrera is the third patient nominated for World Care treatment by the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc.

The surgical operation was successfully done on July 24.

During the surgery, Dr. Lewandowski repaired James’s eyes using local tissue, ensuring the ducts connected up and repaired bone deficiency with bone from his hip. He also worked to minimize the scarring.

“The bone is basically the cement between the bricks,” Dr. Lewandowski said.

The life changing surgery will mean James will be free from infection in both his eyes and teeth and will be in much better health.

“If this takes the stigma from the cleft and gives him the opportunity to be just ‘another face in the crowd’ then we see surgery as a success,” he said.

Dr. Lewandowski is driven by the ethos of medicine, and a strong component of the work done at the Mater every day.

“We’ve also started up training units in the Philippines and Vietnam so that doctors can treat their own patients,” Dr. Lewandowski said.

“Everyone involved in this case has the same vision long term, about providing care to those people who have been afflicted with either birth deformity or trauma,” he said.

Wendy hopes the surgery will give her son a newfound confidence in their community and is extremely grateful for all the doctors were doing for her son.

Dr. Lewandowski, a plastic, craniofacial and reconstructive surgeon, became involved with the non-profit organization 25 years ago while studying at Eastern Virginian Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

He volunteered on medical missions to China, Colombia, Gaza, Kenya, Philippines and Russia, was also involved in the medical educational training sessions, and in the training of Operation Smile International Fellows.

Upon his return to Australia, he and his wife, Sue, established Operation Smile Australian Limited dedicated to helping children from countries in neighboring Southeast Asia.

“I brought Operation Smile to Australia around 1995, and we’ve treated 40–50 major cases here in Brisbane,” Dr. Lewandowski said. (FREEMAN)