The Meenakshi Cleft and Craniofacial Centre is devoted to the treatment and rehabilitation of people suffering from cleft deformities and other birth defects of the face. The Centre was started in the year 1999 and at present has been recognized as a Centre of Excellence in Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery by the Cleft Children International, Switzerland. The Centre is situated in the Meenakshi General Hospital, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Chennai, affiliated to the Meenakshi Ammal Trust, Chennai.

Cleft Children International has its headquarters in Switzerland. Their humanitarian work is based on an international network of acknowledged specialists and institutions. They focus on continuous internationally coordinated fund raising through national organizations established for this purpose. They have a management structure, which is lean, professional and efficient and work closely and collaborate with third party organizations. The organization is headed by Prof. Dr.Herman Sailer who is the president. Their goals are that :

1. Integral care should be provided to both patients and their relatives. Such care has to meet the highest medical standards as well as be in line with the especially stipulated strict guidelines ruling medical humanitarian aid.
2. The transfer of know-how between hospitals, doctors and specialists from all over the world will build up self-sustaining Centres of Excellence for cleft treatment mainly in developing and newly industrializing countries.
3. Efficient development work must be done by fostering independence and autonomy of all partners involved, by intensive research and by systematic continuous education.

The team consists of specialists from various medical and dental specialties who have received extensive training in the management of craniofacial deformities and paediatric patients they include

• Project Director & Surgeon
  Prof.Dr.R.Manikandhan, MDS, FDSRCS (Eng), FFDSRCS (Ire)
  
• Other Surgeons
  Dr.P.Anatanarayanan, MDS, DNB, Fellowship in Cleft Surgery
  
• Post Doctoral Surgical Trainee
  Dr.Titus Tomas Kuttppan MDS
  
• Orthodontists
  Prof.Dr.P.Jayakumar, MDS
  Dr.S.Sundar, MDS
  Dr.A.Nandakumar, MDS
  
• Speech Therapist
  Miss.Prasanna Lakshmi, MASLP
  
• Anesthetists
  Dr.P.C.Vijaykumar, MBBS,DA,DNB
  Dr.Elavazhagan, MBBS, MD
  Dr.J.Himarani, MBBS, DA
  
• ENT Surgeons
  Dr.Govindaraj, MBBS Pediatricians
  Dr.Vasanthi, MBBS, MD
  Dr.kaliaperumal, MBBS, MD
  
• Physicians
  Dr.C.R.Rajamanickam, MBBS, MD
  
• Radiologist & Director of MGH
  Dr.P.C.Rajaram, MD
  
• Psycho-Sociologist
  Mrs.Sakunthala Bhaskaran

The centre at present has two fully qualified and specialized cleft surgeons who are extensively trained in cleft and craniofacial surgery and reconstruction. At least two surgeries per day is performed at present and which we would like to improve three surgeries per day to make up 1000 operations in a year.

The department of orthodontia specializes in the management of esthetics and function related to the teeth, jaws and oral cavity. The department has 3 to 4 orthodontists who are exclusively working on cleft related deformities. The treatment of these patients may extend for 1 to 2 years and a periodic checkup of every month will be done at Hospital cost.

After surgery and orthodontia this is the most important specialty in the rehabilitation of cleft patients. The speech therapist evaluates the development of speech and hearing in cleft patients and help in the staged management and training of these patients to overcome their handicap in the form of altered speech pattern and hearing loss.

The department of anesthesia boasts of Three Qualified and highly skilled anesthetists who are trained in Intensive Care and Pediatric anesthesiology. The department has the latest equipment to manage anesthesia for any age group an also has facilities like fiberoptic endoscope for difficult intubations. The 24 hours intensive care unit is fully equipped with multiple monitor facility and two ventilators including one pediatric ventilator for excellent postoperative management.

This department is involved in the assessment, management and rehabilitation of any otological complications involved in Cleft care. It is quite common to have ear infections in Palate patients and treatment of which will be fully undertaken by the ENT Department. The department has state of the art facilities including functional sinus endoscopes and nasopharyngoscopes.

The centre is unique in the fact that it is the only specialized centre in India, which employs a psycho-sociologist for the cleft programme. The sociologist helps in the mental and social development of the child and parents and helps to create a normal individual out of a cleft child. The psycolologist maintains individual patients profiles and also helps in following a schedule for their counseling and rehabilitation.

The pediatric and medical departments are on par with any specialized centre in the country and are supported with all diagnostic and imaging facilities including ECG, ECHO cardiogram, 3D Ultra sonogram and conventional radiology.

The centre believes in offering comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cleft and craniofacial deformities including medical surgical treatment and psychological counseling. The main goals are :

• Treatment & Rehabilitation of patients with cleft & craniofacial deformities
• Provide free care for the patients at standards comparable to international norms
• Provide opportunity to research and study various genetic factors related to cleft and craniofacial deformities
• Train other surgeons to establish various centers in India for Cleft & Craniofacial Surgery

From June 1999 to July 2003 the centre undertook about 300 Cleft and associated facial surgeries for the poor children in Tamil Nadu and Neighboring districts of Chennai in Andhra Pradesh. The entire Cleft management including the above mentioned specialties were done free of cost on a charitable basis. The funding for this period was provided by the Meenakshi Ammal Trust by themselves as a service to these unfortunate children.

After the Cleft Children International affiliation to the center from 1st of August 2003 on wards, the centre performed more than 500 cases in a period of 17 months. The target for the year 2005 is around 450 surgeries and other associated treatment. The progress and the results achieved by the center is audited and evaluated by a panel of international cleft surgeons for maintenance of quality and adherence to international standards for medical care.

The center conducted a National workshop on 1st September 2004 to 3rd September 2004 on Craniofacial Distraction Ontogenesis.

Prof.Dr.G.E.Ghali, Director, maxillofacial Centre, Louisiana a renowned surgeons from USA was the main course coordinator. The workshop faculty included Prof.K.s.Rao, Director, CCI India. Dr.Krishnamurthy, Cleft Surgeons from Nitte Meenakshi Cleft Centre, Mangalore, Dr, Ghosla Srinivas Reddy, Director, Craniofacial Centre, Hyderabad and Dr.R.Manikandhan, Director, Meenakshi Cleft & Craniofacial Centre, Chennai. 170 participants of both trainees and surgeons from all over India attended the workshop.

6 live surgical demonstrations of distractions was done, Videoconferences was arranged to benefit all participants. Advanced Distractors of the workshop was brought from Germany & USA to benefit poor patients from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

We live in a world of intense competition. We have to put in our best in order to be on top of the world. The students have to master whatever subject they choose to pursue for their learning that calls for hard work, intense application and total commitment. When the students put their years of study to best use the reward is not only one of job satisfaction but also material as today's employers are willing to pay handsome remuneration when candidates display their learning achievements and their sense of seriousness. Promoting our own discipline and building up character can pay rich dividends in terms of work - oriented achievements and material gains.

Meenakshi Ammal Dental College is eager to build a tradition in this regard and expects every student to appreciate his responsibilities for the good of his own future. Needless to say that the role of every member of the faculty is equally important.