Cleft lip and palate, a condition present from birth, should be treated early, failing which, it can trouble individuals throughout their lives, said dental specialist and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Y.S.N. Reddy. He said early correction enables children eat and speak normally. Otherwise, they may face social stigma and embarrassment.
KIMS Icon Hospital, Sheela Nagar, completed over 3,000 cleft lip and palate surgeries since 2004. Interacting with media persons on the occasion on Saturday (December 13, 2025), Dr. Reddy said that cleft lip and palate were congenital conditions. KIMS Hospital has performed these on patients ranging from 15-day infants to 66-year-old adults. However, performing the surgery at a young age reduces the feelings of inferiority and boosts confidence, he said.
He thanked ‘Doshi Smiles’ doctors Dr. Nitin Doshi and Dr. Leena Doshi from the USA, and the INGA Foundation, KIMS Icon Managing Director Dr. Satish Kumar and Executive Director Dr. Sai Balaram for their support to the initiative. The surgeries, under this banner, were performed free of cost for underprivileged patients. Transportation facilities from their homes to the hospital and back were provided by the hospital.
INGA Foundation Managing Trustee and Medical Director Dr. Krishna Shyamarao, INGA Foundation Trustee Dr. Chetan Kumar, Association of Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI) President Dr. R. Manikandan, AOMSI A.P. Chapter president Dr. P. Vasundhar, KIMS Icon Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Gopal Raju, and KIMS Icon Operations General Manager Mamata Devi Reddy, were present.
Published – December 13, 2025 07:27 pm IST
