UK doctors provide life-changing cleft care in Peru

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 15, 2026) — Access to reliable health care is limited for many children in Peru, but a team of clinicians from around the world — including the University of Kentucky — helped provide surgical, dental and supportive services to 122 patients with cleft lip and palate conditions.

James Liau, M.D., is the surgeon medical director for the perioperative management team at UK HealthCare and recently led UK doctors on a trip to Trujillo, Peru, with the Global Smile Foundation. He has participated in medical mission work since his residency and now mentors young healthcare workers, leading two to three trips each year — often to Peru, Guatemala and Ecuador.

The Global Smile Foundation, which was created and currently run by Usama Hamdan, M.D., has provided 39 years of overseas cleft care, in multiple countries, such as Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador and Lebanon.

This year Garrett Minor, M.D., a sixth-year plastic surgery resident, his fiancee, Karah Brown, D.M.D., M.D., a graduate of the UK College of Dentistry’s oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program, and Emily Bliss, M.D., a fourth-year anesthesiology resident who just completed her training at UK, joined the trip.

Brown previously traveled to Ecuador through Global Brigade as a fourth-year dental student, but this was the first immersive experience performing surgery abroad for both her and Minor.

In collaboration with the Global Smile Foundation and local care teams, much of the week’s clinical itinerary is already planned, said Liau. The trip begins with a day of screening patients and confirming the surgery schedule. 

For many patients, this is not their first experience with Liau, the Global Smile Foundation and the other doctors who traveled to Peru. Liau said children and adolescents with cleft lip and palate conditions receive multiple surgeries and years of follow-up care.

“We follow these kids for their whole lives,” Liau said.

With limited access to specialized healthcare services, many Peruvian families rely on the yearly visits from the international teams.

“Families would travel 12 hours to get to have that surgery done. It’s life changing for them,” Brown said.

Liau said it is not uncommon for Peruvian families to travel several days for surgical care. One young patient came to see Liau and the surgical team because accessing care otherwise would have been difficult for the family. The child underwent staged surgeries to repair a bilateral cleft lip and palate.

“He epitomizes the resilience of children,” Liau said. “Every time we would see him, he would give us a thumbs up, even immediately post-op when he was undoubtedly uncomfortable.”

This year’s Global Smile Foundation partners and a local team of Peruvian healthcare professionals accomplished 59 surgical procedures for 40 patients, 481 dental procedures for 165 patients, 90 nutrition and feeding consults and 88 psychosocial consults. 

The procedures and consultations significantly corrected malformations and improved the quality of life for 122 Peruvian children and adolescents with cleft lip and palate conditions, who depending on severity, if gone untreated may struggle with feeding difficulties, hearing loss, and speech or dental problems.

While the impact of this year’s work was significant, the need remains far greater than what can be addressed in a single trip. Many children are still waiting for care, making the team’s continued return to the region critical for both new patients and follow-up care.

The multidisciplinary effort included UK providers in surgery and anesthesiology, alongside a larger international team of operating room nurses, pediatric specialists, postanesthesia care providers, dental teams and psychosocial support staff. 

Minor, Brown and Bliss shared an appreciation for the opportunity to provide life-changing services in another country and work with staff from across the world.

“I think it’s hard to go on one of these once and not be interested in going again,” Minor said.

In addition to providing hands-on training for young health care professionals, the experience also exposes them to different healthcare systems and helps address gaps in access to care.

“It changes your view and appreciation in a way that will stick with you forever,” Minor said. 

This perspective is exactly what Liau hopes participants continue to take away from these trips. He said global health opens your eyes to your own healthcare system and helps shape them not only into stronger physicians, but more compassionate ones.

“When you get a comparison with another country, it really brings things into sharp relief,” Liau said.

Opportunities to learn and practice abroad exist for students, residents and physicians at all stages of training.

“We’re fortunate to be at an institution that strongly supports global health. From the dean’s office to department leadership, the UK College of Medicine is committed to these efforts through programs like Shoulder to Shoulder Global and the support of our chairs,” Liau said. “Dr. Barry Inabnet, chair of the Department of Surgery, participates in an annual global health mission in Mali, and many other faculty members are actively involved in similar work around the world.”

For students interested in participating in medical mission work, Liau suggested connecting with physicians who have led or attended a trip before and vetting various nonprofits who organize the opportunities.

“If you’re in a residency program that has it, definitely express interest early because it’s never too early to start,” Liau said.