PhD for renowned cleft lip and palate surgeon
WORLD-renowned cleft lip and palate (CLP) surgeon, Professor Anil Madaree, recently graduated with a doctoral degree for his novel study on CLP surgical techniques on patients in KwaZulu-Natal.
Professor Madaree is a Chief Specialist and Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UKZN, and the medical director for Operation Smile. He has been on numerous voluntary missions to treat and perform surgery on patients with CLP and other deformities in nine subSaharan countries as well as in Mexico, Philippines, Brazil, Nicaragua and Bolivia, among others.
Passionate about CLP and craniofacial reconstructive surgery, Madaree was recruited by the International Red Cross to do reconstructive medical work on people in Africa who had suffered post-war deformities.
CLP is a common congenital deformity and occurs in about 1:600 – 1:1000 live births, depending on factors such as the race, population group and geographical area being studied. According to Madaree, the epidemiology of CLP in KZN has not been previously investigated, but the surgical techniques employed in procedures on CLP patients are probably the single most important factor in determining the outcomes in these patients.
Madaree’s study reviewed plastic surgery charts at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital from 2003 to 2019. All patients diagnosed with a cleft lip or palate were included, with the review revealing 1 487 consecutive cases of cleft patients. Based on the intensive review, Madaree conceptualised and introduced several new surgical techniques designed to repair the cleft lip and nasal deformity.
His study revealed that there were distinct epidemiological differences in CLP patients in KZN, and he also introduced three new surgical techniques including a novel method of lip repair. The first technical innovation was the use of a design termed the symmetrical philtral column repair in unilateral cleft lip, which was used in 500 patients. The second modification was to determine the indication for a twostage repair in bilateral cleft lips. The third innovation was the correction of the cleft lip nasal deformity with septal repositioning and the use of a hypodermic needle to align the anatomy of the nasal cartilages more accurately.
The new surgical design and techniques employed to correct the lip and nose resulted in superior outcomes, with two papers being published and a third submitted for publication.
According to Operation Smile, Madaree is one of South Africa’s most accomplished plastic surgeons, with awards and recognition galore in a career that began more than 30 years ago. Apart from his volunteer work, lecturing, his clinical commitments and publishing, Madaree has also served in several key positions including as president of the Colleges of Medicine in South Africa, president of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, president of the Association of Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons of South