Patient Resources

• Operation Smile Cambodia provides free reconstructive surgery for children and young adults who suffer from cleft lips, cleft palates, burn, and other facial deformities.
• Operation Smile Cambodia uses Operation Smile’s Global Standards of Care for all of its missions.
• Biomedical Technicians meticulously checks medical equipment, hospital electrical systems, oxygen supplies, circuit breakers and generators – a role critical to the safety and smooth running of a mission.
• All Operation Smile medical volunteers have been credentialed to ensure that the patient is getting the best possible care.

• Accommodation (1 patient & 1 guardian)
• Meals
• 1 x mosquito net
• 1 x floor mat
• 1 x care package: toothbrush, soap, comb, toys, mirror, etc.
• Bottled water
• Financial Assistance with transportation if necessary

• Every patient will receive a medical evaluation.
• Not all patients will be recommended for surgery.
• Patients may not receive surgery due to factors including: poor health, high surgical risk, low surgical priority, or the patient’s medical condition falls outside Operation Smile’s scope of treatment.
• The patient is initially asked for background information including medical records.
• The patient will have their weight, vital signs and photograph taken.
• The patient is seen and examined by a number of different specialists including: anesthesiologist, child life specialist, dentist, pediatrician, plastic surgeon and a speech pathologist.
• Translators will be available throughout the screening and surgery process.

• The safe surgery and healthy recovery of our patients is our primary concern.
• Where possible, patients will be admitted to the hospital one day before their operation.
• Patients will be medically evaluated in a pre-operative area prior to going into surgery.
• Patients are not allowed to eat eight hours prior to surgery.
• When the patient is ready, he or she will be taken to the operative room for their operation.
• After the surgery is complete, the patient will go to the recovery room where he or she will be monitored to ensure a safe recovery from surgery.
• Once the patient has been discharged from the recovery room they will be brought to the post-operative ward.
• Most patients who have had cleft lip repairs will go home the day after surgery. Patients who have cleft palate surgery may stay for two or more nights. (If they live far away then they are given free accommodation at the hospital.)

• Patients are encouraged to get a free check up one week, six months and one year after their operation.
• Patients will be photographed when they return for a follow-up check up so that Operation Smile can record another new smile.