10/06/2026
๐๏ธโณ๐ฃ 3 Years Later
Three years ago, it was a pleasure to host Dr. Yekta Gรถren from the Department for Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, BG Trauma Center Frankfurt am Main, Germany, as part of the DAFPRS Fellowship of the Dutch Association of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He had gifted me a mug with the words:
โBest palate closer ever!โ
I smiled, accepted it with gratitude, and kept it safely.
I accepted it with gratitude.
But over the years, I often found myself asking:
Do I really deserve this?
The longer I spend in surgery, the more I realize that every successful operation teaches confidence, and every complication teaches humility.
In cleft care, we strive for perfection. We study, plan, refine, and give our absolute best for every child and family.
Yet every successful outcome is never the work of one person alone.
Behind every smile stands an entire teamโanesthetists, nurses, speech therapists, orthodontists, pediatricians, operating room staff, mentors, colleagues, and above all, parents who place their trust in us.
Perhaps being the โbestโ is not about never making mistakes.
Perhaps it is about showing up every day willing to learn, improve, stay accountable, and do what is right for the patient.
Today, that gift means something different to me.
Not an achievement.
A responsibility.
A reminder to remain humble, keep learning, keep serving, and leave the rest in Godโs hands.
Because at the end of the day, we close palates.
But healing belongs to something far greater than us.
Every smile is a blessing. Every outcome is a responsibility. Every opportunity to serve is a privilege.
โ Dr Varun Menon P
CleftSurgeon EverySmileHasAStory StrengthBeyondScars KeepLearning KeepServing
