At left, Dr. Murthy brings Noor’s parents back to see her in the recovery unit after the first surgery for the lip and nasal correction. Top right and bottom right is Noor before and after the lip and nasal surgery in December 2013.
Salah and Reem Mustafa allowed the hospital to follow the cleft lip and palate surgeries for Noor, their 4th daughter, to help others in their situation.
They knew their fourth child was going to be born with a cleft lip and palate. They learned about the birth defect during a prenatal ultrasound. Upon hearing the news, Reem, a former chemist, immediately turned to the Internet to learn more about it. The images she discovered online terrified her.
She met with Dr. Ananth Murthy, director of Akron Children’s Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Center. He reassured the family – laying out plans for the journey ahead.
When Noor was much younger she had an appliance placed in her mouth which helped line up her gum line and lips. The first major surgery involved repairing Noor’s cleft lip. This surgery took place when whe was 3 months old.
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When Noor was 8 months old she was ready for her palate correction. The Mustafa family again allowed Noor’s procedure to be documented.
Prior to the operation Dr. Murthy outlined the 8 majory points of the surgery.
During Noor’s surgery the hospital tweeted photos, videos and updates. You can conveniently see the 47 tweets on this page.
Additional resources:
- Dr. Ananth Murthy is our very own “Doogie Howser,” having completed his undergraduate degree at age 19 and medical degree by age 22. Learn more about him in this fun Q & A.
