The aim of the partnership between the university hospitals of Leipzig, Aachen and Cologne and the GSR Institute of Craniofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery in Hyderabad, India, is to improve the therapeutic care of patients with craniofacial malformations. The focus is on treating cleft lips and palates and establishing a standardised treatment regime for patients with Pierre Robin sequence.
Background:
Each year in India, over 55,000 children are born with malformations of the jaw and face, which, if left untreated, can lead to nutritional and developmental disorders. There is a considerable need for specialised therapy centres for patients with a cleft lip and palate, as well as for accompanying therapies, which are essential for successful treatment and care.
Activities:
-\tEquipping the hospital with basic tools
-\tProviding training in genetic counselling to medical staff
-\tWorking together in the field of research and investigating the causes of cleft formation
-\tEstablishing treatment for patients with Pierre Robin sequence
Impact:
For the affected patients and their families, the introduction of the therapy methods is designed to help improve care. The long-term goal is to establish a research cooperation arrangement to gain new insights into the pathogenesis of cleft formation, from which patients all over the world would benefit.