Surgery: Two operations in Sicily save a newborn from Burkina Faso.

Two surgeries at leading Sicilian healthcare facilities have saved the life of a 9-month-old boy from Burkina Faso, suffering from a complex malformation of the palate (cleft lip and palate) associated with a serious congenital heart disease. The child was already being treated at the Mediterranean Pediatric Cardiology Center (CCPM) in Taormina, where he had undergone a delicate cardiac surgery, thanks to the "Rebel Hearts" international cooperation project promoted by the "Una voce per Padre Pio" association. For the second maxillofacial surgery, the surgical team from the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit at the San Marco Hospital in Catania, led by Director Alberto Bianchi, intervened. The doctors traveled to the San Vincenzo Hospital in Taormina to perform a combined palatoplasty and cheilorhinoplasty procedure, made even more complex by the child's heart condition. Cleft lip and palate is a malformation that significantly impacts feeding, breathing, and speech development. The contribution of the association 'Una voce per Padre Pio' was very important, allowing the child to receive treatment in Sicily by taking care of medical expenses, surgical procedures, flights, and visas.

"It was a virtuous example of integrated medicine," Bianchi stated at the end of the procedure. "The presence of the cardiac malformation made the procedure extremely delicate. Only thanks to the collaboration between highly specialized professionals from multiple facilities were we able to ensure maximum safety for the young patient." Sasha Agati, director of the CCPM, also emphasized the importance of teamwork: "The palatoplasty and primary cheilorhinoplasty surgery," she stated, "is usually performed in separate surgical stages to ensure the patient receives the best possible care, and it was a complete success. The little boy will now be able to return home and lead a completely normal life. For this, I am deeply grateful to the doctors and the general management of the Catania Polyclinic."

The postoperative course is proceeding smoothly and without complications. The child is recovering, lovingly cared for by the Sicilian medical staff and a nurse from the Burkina Faso hospital.