Innovate Global Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Cleft Lip and Palate Charity Database

Background: There is an emerging interest in global surgery. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recognizes the important role that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in the delivery of cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) surgical care. To better address the unmet burden of surgical disease, the commissioners propose the use of a centralized registry to maximize coordination of global surgical volunteerism efforts. This study aims to create a comprehensive database of CLP organizations. Methods: A systematic search of the following resources was conducted: The Plastic Surgery Foundation, Smile Train, Wikipedia, Google, and lists of surgical NGOs. A secondary review of each organization's website was performed to verify inclusion criteria and to extract data. Organizations were classified as providing surgical or nonsurgical care. Results: Thirty-one organizations providing CLP care were reviewed, with 30 that met inclusion criteria. Of the 20 surgical NGOs, 50% use a diagonal approach of international outreach, 40% a vertical one-way approach, and 10% a horizontal approach. All 10 of the nonsurgical NGOs provide care through a horizontal approach. Their offices are distributed across North America (43%), Asia (27%), Europe (23%), and Australia (7%). Forty-three percent of the organizations provide CLP surgeries or services in more than 1 country; 93% do so with a multidisciplinary team. A majority of the organizations established collaborations with host institutions (80%). Conclusion: To the authors' best knowledge, this database includes the largest collection of CLP organizations. This list will be made publicly available to inform surgical care planning, facilitate collaboration, and promote further research. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Pinkal S. Patel, BSc, MD Candidate, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4L8; E-mail: pinkal.patel@medportal.ca Received 23 September, 2017 Accepted 22 December, 2017 Presented at: 71st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons in Winnipeg, Manitoba; June 21–24, 2017. The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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