For families in Bolivia, hope is on the horizon. From March 22 to 28, 2025, a dedicated team of volunteer medical professionals will come together to provide life-changing cleft surgeries and comprehensive care to children and adults in need. This surgical program is more than just a series of procedures—it is a testament to the power of compassionate care, training, and long-term impact.
A Week of Healing and Training
The week-long surgical program is set to make an incredible impact. With 210 patients expected to attend, the team will provide comprehensive health evaluations and care, ensuring that every patient receives the support they need. Over five surgical days, 60 cleft surgeries and five additional procedures are planned, bringing profound transformations to children and families.
In addition to delivering critical medical care, this program is also designed to train and empower local medical professionals. Through five educational surgical tables, trainees in various medical specialties will gain hands-on experience, ensuring that the impact of this program extends far beyond a single week.
A Team United for Change
This surgical program is made possible by a dedicated team of 94 volunteers—70 local to South America and 24 from around the world—who are committed to changing lives. Their efforts will be supported by an educational component that aims to strengthen the skills of future medical professionals. The team aims to educate: 5 Plastic Surgery trainees, 5 Anesthesia trainees, 8 Nursing trainees, 1 PACU/Pediatric trainee, 1 Biomed trainee, 7 Oral Health trainees, and 5 Speech Therapy trainees.
By investing in training, Operation Smile is ensuring that high-quality cleft care continues in Bolivia long after the program concludes.
A Step-by-Step Journey
Each day of the surgical program is carefully structured to maximize both patient care and learning opportunities.
March 22: Families arrive and settle in, with accommodation provided for those traveling from far away. Patients undergo comprehensive health evaluations to determine their eligibility for surgery and receive additional care, such as nutritional support, dental evaluations, and speech therapy consultations, to ensure they are in the best possible health for treatment. The team then announces the surgical schedule at the end of the day.
March 23: Volunteers, educators and trainees come together at educational conferences to exchange knowledge and skills, all with the shared goal of improving surgical outcomes for patients.
March 24-28: Surgery and training days, where medical professionals work side by side, sharing knowledge, performing surgeries, and changing lives.
A Future Transformed
This surgical program is not just about one moment in time—it’s about creating a future where every child has access to safe, high-quality cleft care. By providing surgeries and training local medical professionals, Operation Smile is building a stronger medical network in Bolivia, ensuring that children born with cleft conditions have access to the care they need for years to come.
For the families who will walk through the doors of this surgical program, the journey ahead is filled with hope. And thanks to the dedication of volunteers, medical professionals, and supporters like you, brighter smiles and hopeful futures are just around the corner.
Help Create Lasting Change
You can help make this transformation possible. Your donation can ensure children receive the care they deserve while also equipping medical professionals with the skills and knowledge to provide lasting healthcare solutions in their own communities.
By supporting surgery, post-operative care, and specialized training, you are helping to build a sustainable future where more children have access to the treatment they need, closer to home.
Join us in bringing new smiles and brighter futures to children in Bolivia.
Did You Know?
Through educational programs like this, Operation Smile is a force multiplier, creating more surgical capacity for children and families closer to where they live. This surgical program not only benefits the children who attend from March 22-28 – but will impact people who need essential surgery for generations to come.
*This research has been conducted internally with our medical volunteers and has not yet been published. We anticipate the numbers will change over time as the research is refined and verified by an external source.
