Professor Anil Madaree
Plastic and reconstructive surgeon, academic leader and long-serving medical volunteer whose career has centred on restoring function, dignity and hope through surgery.
A lifetime of reconstructive surgery, teaching and voluntary missions.
Prof Anil Madaree is recognised for his work in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with a particular focus on craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, paediatric plastic surgery, wound healing and reconstructive care.
He has led, taught, operated, published and volunteered across decades of service. The Madaree Foundation is being built around that same principle: specialist surgical skill should reach people who would otherwise have little or no access to it.
Prof Anil Madaree
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Founder and Medical Director, Madaree Foundation
Portrait image can be replaced once official foundation photography is approved.
Academic and surgical leadership.
Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Prof Madaree was appointed as the first full-time Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Natal in 1994, helping shape the discipline in KwaZulu-Natal over many years.
International training and craniofacial focus
After training in South Africa, he trained abroad at the University of Pennsylvania and developed a major focus on craniofacial surgery and cleft repair.
Teaching, mentorship and service
Following retirement as head of department, he has continued to contribute expertise in craniofacial surgery and to the training culture around reconstructive care.
The Madaree Foundation is not built around a logo. It is built around a standard of care, a network of specialists and a lifetime of trust.
Specialist experience where one operation can change a life.
Prof Madaree’s work in cleft lip and palate surgery is central to the foundation’s first programme area. His academic work has included novel study of cleft lip and palate surgical techniques in KwaZulu-Natal.
The foundation’s early focus on cleft surgery builds naturally from this experience, while creating space to expand into other high-impact surgical needs such as eye surgery and burn reconstruction.
Volunteer surgery across South Africa and beyond.
Prof Madaree’s voluntary work has included surgical missions and reconstructive work for patients who otherwise would not have access to specialist care.
Operation Smile
He has served as Medical Director of Operation Smile South Africa, supporting cleft surgery and comprehensive care through a volunteer-based medical model.
International missions
His voluntary mission work has reached patients in sub-Saharan Africa and other countries, including Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, Nicaragua and Bolivia.
Reconstructive relief
His reconstructive experience has also included post-war deformity work through International Red Cross-linked service.
A career recognised locally and internationally.
Publicly available professional profiles record a wide range of leadership roles, society positions, academic achievements and honours across Prof Madaree’s career.
| Area | Selected background |
|---|---|
| Medical leadership | Medical Director of Operation Smile South Africa; senior leadership in plastic, reconstructive, craniofacial and burns-related professional societies. |
| Academic contribution | Professor and long-serving head in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UKZN / Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. |
| Specialist interests | Craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, paediatric plastic surgery, keloid and wound healing, and reconstructive surgery. |
| Research | Doctoral research focused on cleft lip and palate surgical techniques in KwaZulu-Natal. |
| Training and fellowship | International training at the University of Pennsylvania and recognition through scholarships, fellowships and professional invitations. |
The foundation can begin with trust that normally takes years to earn.
Founding sponsors, hospitals, surgeons and families need to know who is behind a surgical foundation. Prof Madaree’s reputation gives the foundation an unusually strong starting point.
The role of the foundation is to protect that trust through good governance, careful patient screening, professional systems, transparent reporting and medical standards led by senior consultants.
The vision is simple: bring together the people who can help, and the patients who need help, in a safe and accountable way.