Cleft Repair: Medical Mission Trips versus Empowering Local Surgeons in Developing Countries

Abstract

Objectives:

Determine whether it is more cost beneficial to partake in a medical mission trip to developing countries to complete cleft repairs or to support medical professionals in providing local care.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of surgical costs per patient of different types of US-based charitable organizations. We compared financial information of 3 separate 501(c)(3)s for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. Cost per surgery was determined through expenses and total number of surgeries. Two organizations focus on service-based missions (typically US-trained surgeons and other clinicians traveling to developing countries to complete surgeries over a 1-2 week period). The third organization focuses on funding local surgeons (who are already trained and have proven expertise) to complete cleft repairs. This organization pays local clinicians to complete surgeries, and in return, surgeons upload results to an electronic medical record system so outcomes and progress can be tracked.

Results:

The cost per patient is significantly lower when local surgeons are paid to complete cleft repair cases than when entire teams of clinicians partake in service-based missions for cleft repairs. While different from country to country, the typical cost for locally provided care is as low as $250/patient. When relying on service-based missions, the average cost is above $500.

Conclusions:

It is more cost beneficial to empower local surgeons in developing countries to complete cleft repairs.