Objective: To describe the conduct of the first multidisciplinary simulation-based workshop in the Middle East/North Africa region and evaluate participant satisfaction. Design: Cross-sectional survey-based evaluation. Setting: Educational comprehensive multidisciplinary simulation-based cleft care workshop. Participants: Total of 93 workshop participants from over 20 countries. Interventions: Three-day educational comprehensive multidisciplinary simulation-based cleft care workshop. Main Outcome Measures: Number of workshop participants, number of participants stratified by specialty, satisfaction with workshop, number of workshop staff, and number of workshop staff stratified by specialty. Results: The workshop included 93 participants from over 20 countries. The response rate was 47.3%, and participants reported high satisfaction with all aspects of the workshop. All participants reported they would recommend it to colleagues (100.0%) and participate again (100.0%). No significant difference was detected based on participant specialty or years of experience. The majority were unaware of other cleft practitioners in their countries (68.2%). Conclusion: Multidisciplinary simulation-based cleft care workshops are well received by cleft practitioners in developing countries, serve as a platform for intellectual exchange, and are only possible through strong collaborations. Advocates of international cleft surgery education should translate these successes from the regional to the global arena in order to contribute to sustainable cleft care through education.

Few reports have evaluated single-stage CBCL repair or revision with severe premaxillary protrusion using PVPS. Our study shows that this technique is safe and results in good aesthetic outcomes. Further follow-up with anthropometric patient data is needed to evaluate long-term postoperative outcomes.

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Background The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has catalysed a widespread humanitarian crisis in many low- and middle-income countries around the world, with many African nations significantly impacted. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the planning and provision of international reconstructive collaborations in Africa. Methods An anonymous, 14-question, multiple choice questionnaire was sent to 27 non-governmental organisations who regularly perform reconstructive surgery in Africa. The survey was open to responses for four weeks, closing on the 7 th of March 2021. A single reminder was sent out at 2 weeks. The survey covered four key domains: (1) NGO demographics; (2) the impact of COVID-19 on patient follow-up; (3) barriers to the safe provision of international surgical collaborations during COVID-19; (4) the impact of COVID-19 on NGO funding. Results A total of ten reconstructive NGOs completed the survey (response rate, 37%). Ethiopia ( n = 5) and Tanzania ( n = 4) were the countries where most collaborations took place. Plastic, reconstructive and burns surgery was the most common sub-speciality ( n = 7). For NGOs that did not have a year-round presence in country ( n = 8), only one NGO was able to perform reconstructive surgery in Africa during the pandemic. The most common barrier identified was travel restrictions (within country, n = 8 or country entry-exit, n = 7). Pre-pandemic, 1547 to ≥ 1800 patients received reconstructive surgery on international surgical collaborations. After the outbreak, 70% of NGOs surveyed had treated no patients, with approximately 1405 to ≥ 1640 patients left untreated over the last year. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has placed huge pressures on health services and their delivery across the globe. This theme has extended into international surgical collaborations leading to increased unmet surgical needs in low- and middle-income countries. Level of evidence: Not gradable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00238-021-01892-4.

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