We had a successful surgical cleft trip to Tarapoto, Peru from March 26 until April 2. Our team of skilled volunteers and local medical professionals operated on 26 patients and completed 36 procedures (some patients had both lip and palate operated on during the same surgery).
This trip was the most international trip we have taken, with a Bolivian surgeon joining the team as our trainer, and a Peruvian surgeon from Lima participating as the trainee. After one week of 1:1 cleft surgery training, she feels confident that she can take the lead as the plastic surgeon of the cleft clinic in Tarapoto, Peru.
Our goal is to develop a world-class multidisciplinary cleft clinic in Tarapoto, and it has taken us years to find a plastic surgeon who was dedicated to donating their time. Therefore, in many ways, this trip has been one of our most successful trips in Peru yet. The next steps in building the multidisciplinary team in Peru will include speech therapy, dentofacial prosthetics, and bone graft training in December 2022.
Our team would like to share a heartfelt thanks to our Peru trip sponsor Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch. We would also like to recognize everyone that donated to our Peru fundraiser. Thanks to the generosity of this community, we exceeded our fundraising goal. Thank you for helping us to continue our mission!
Sharing Smiles Peru 2022 Team Members
- Surgeon: Dr. Eligio Arcienega
- Anesthesiologist: Dr. James Garas
- CRNA: Ken Luk
- Scrub Tech/Nurse: Madeline Guzman
- Circulating Nurse: Danielle Leaver
- PACU: Theresa Hubert
- Certified Interpreter: Ines Soto
Our deepest thanks go out to this amazing team that donated their incredible skills and time to heal the smiles of children in need. Our mission would not be possible without your generosity.
