Procedures
- Separating the mouth and nasal tissues by closing the defect along its length
- Re-establishing soft palate muscle function to promote normal speech
- Recreating normal relation of the soft palate to the auditory canal and Eustachian tube to allow for normal hearing
- Promoting as much as possible the normal growth and development of the upper jaw and teeth
Therapy
What to expect before and after surgery
- Before surgery
- Recovery time. You will also have the opportunity to talk with your child's plastic surgeon to ask questions and address any concerns you have.
- After surgery for cleft lip. Although most children do well after surgery, there are some things to know. ...
- After the surgery for cleft palate. ...
- Diet after surgery. ...
- Activity after surgery. ...
Self-care
He is born in Griffin Georgia and his father served during the Civil War and Mexican-American War. At birth, he already has cleft lip and cleft palate and it was repaired surgically by his uncle who is a surgeon. After the surgery, he went through a speech therapy that was performed by his mother. The cleft lip is also visible in his upper lip line.
Nutrition
- The first operation consists of the resolution of the lip cleft and is called cheiloplasty. ...
- If the child also has a cleft palate, then doctors perform a second surgery called a palothoplasty. ...
- In some cases, new tissue retouching interventions are required, either to improve certain functions or the patient’s appearance.
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What is the purpose of a cleft lip repair?
What to expect after cleft lip surgery?
Does Jeff Withey have a repaired cleft lip?
What is the cure for cleft lip?
What methods can be used to correct a cleft lip?
A cleft is usually treated with surgery. Other treatments, such as speech therapy and dental care, may also be needed. Your child will be cared for by a specialist cleft team at an NHS cleft centre.
What is the procedure to repair a cleft palate?
The only way to repair a cleft palate is by surgery. The goal is to close the opening in the roof of the child's mouth. Your child will be in the operating room for only a few hours. The hospital stay is usually 1 to 3 days.
Do cleft lips need to be fixed?
In most cases, your baby is healthy, and surgery can help fix the clefts' appearance. Treating children with cleft lips or palates involves fixing the lip and mouth so that they can function correctly. Treatment may also include dental work, orthodontia and speech therapy.
At what age should cleft lip be repaired?
The cleft lip usually is corrected early in a child's life, between 3 to 6 months of age, but sometimes later. Cleft lip surgery will correct the cleft and usually will leave minimal scarring. Virtually every child born with a cleft lip is able to lead a healthy, happy life once the cleft has been repaired.
Is cleft palate surgery painful?
Some pain is normal after palate repair. Your surgeon and medical team will work together to achieve the best pain control possible, but your child may still experience discomfort. For pain, your child may be prescribed a medicine called either Oxycodone or Lortab.
Why do babies get cleft lips?
During the first 6 to 10 weeks of pregnancy, the bones and skin of a baby's upper jaw, nose, and mouth normally come together (fuse) to form the roof of the mouth and the upper lip. A cleft lip happens when parts of the upper lip and/or gum do not fuse together completely.
What is cleft lip caused by?
Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when tissues in the baby's face and mouth don't fuse properly. Normally, the tissues that make up the lip and palate fuse together in the second and third months of pregnancy.
What causes a cleft lip at birth?
A cleft lip or palate happens when the structures that form the upper lip or palate fail to join together when a baby is developing in the womb. The exact reason why this happens to some babies is often unclear. It's very unlikely to have been caused by anything you did or did not do during pregnancy.
How long does it take for a cleft palate repair to heal?
It usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks for the incision to heal. Your child may need to wear padded arm splints for 1 to 2 weeks after surgery to prevent rubbing the surgery area.
What are the complications after cleft palate repair?
Irregular healing of scars including shortening, thickening or overgrowth. Poor healing of incisions. Possibility of revisional surgery. Residual irregularities and asymmetries in the lip or nose.
How does a child's doctor fix a cleft lip?
Your child's doctor will perform cleft lip repair using general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a combination of intravenous (IV) medications and gases that put your child in a deep sleep. Your child is unaware of the procedure and will not feel any pain.
Can a cleft lip be corrected?
Cleft palate results in a split or opening in the roof of the mouth. Cleft lip and cleft palate may require correction in separate surgeries.
What is the procedure to correct a cleft lip?
Surgery to correct cleft lip and palate is based on your child's particular situation. Following the initial cleft repair, your doctor may recommend follow-up surgeries to improve speech or improve the appearance of the lip and nose.
How does surgery help cleft lip?
Surgery to repair cleft lip creates a more normal lip appearance, structure and function. Surgery is done in a way to minimize the appearance of the scar. The scar will fade over time but will always be visible.
How to close a lip separation?
To close the separation in the lip, the surgeon makes incisions on both sides of the cleft and creates flaps of tissue. The flaps are then stitched together, including the lip muscles. The repair should create a more normal lip appearance, structure and function.
How to repair a cleft palate?
Cleft palate repair. Various procedures may be used to close the separation and rebuild the roof of the mouth (hard and soft palate), depending on your child's situation. The surgeon makes incisions on both sides of the cleft and repositions the tissue and muscles. The repair is then stitched closed. Ear tube surgery.
When is cleft lip surgery performed?
Surgeries typically are performed in this order: Cleft lip repair — within the first 3 to 6 months of age. Cleft palate repair — by the age of 12 months, or earlier if possible. Follow-up surgeries — between age 2 and late teen years. Cleft lip and palate surgery takes place in a hospital.
What is the procedure for cleft palate?
Ear tube surgery. For children with cleft palate, ear tubes may be placed to reduce the risk of chronic ear fluid, which can lead to hearing loss. Ear tube surgery involves placing tiny bobbin-shaped tubes in the eardrum to create an opening to prevent fluid buildup. Surgery to reconstruct appearance.
How can surgery improve your child's appearance?
Surgery to reconstruct appearance. Additional surgeries may be needed to improve the appearance of the mouth, lip and nose. Surgery can significantly improve your child's appearance, quality of life, and ability to eat, breathe and talk.
How to care for a cleft lip?
Children with clefts will have a care plan tailored to meet their individual needs. A typical care plan timetable for cleft lip and palate is: 1 birth to 6 weeks – feeding assistance, support for parents, hearing tests and paediatric assessment 2 3 to 6 months – surgery to repair a cleft lip 3 6 to 12 months – surgery to repair a cleft palate 4 18 months – speech assessment 5 3 years – speech assessment 6 5 years – speech assessment 7 8 to 12 years – bone graft to repair a cleft in the gum area 8 12 to 15 years – orthodontic treatment and monitoring jaw growth
How long does it take to repair a cleft lip?
The operation usually takes 1 to 2 hours. Most babies are in hospital for 1 to 2 days.
How to treat cleft palate in children?
Hearing problems may improve after cleft palate repair and, if necessary, can be treated by inserting tiny plastic tubes called grommets into the eardrums. These allow the fluid to drain from the ear. Sometimes, hearing aids may be recommended.
Why is breastfeeding difficult for babies with cleft palate?
Feeding help and advice. Many babies with a cleft palate have problems breastfeeding because of the gap in the roof of their mouth. They may struggle to form a seal with their mouth – so they may take in a lot of air and milk may come out of their nose.
What is the best treatment for a cleft palate?
Speech and language therapy. Repairing a cleft palate will significantly reduce the chance of speech problems, but in some cases, children with a repaired cleft palate still need speech therapy . A speech and language therapist (SLT) will assess of your child's speech several times as they get older.
How is a cleft treated?
A cleft is usually treated with surgery. Other treatments, such as speech therapy and dental care, may also be needed. Your child will be cared for by a specialist cleft team at an NHS cleft centre.
How long does it take to repair a baby's palate?
Palate repair surgery is usually done when your baby is 6 to 12 months old. The gap in the roof of the mouth is closed and the muscles and the lining of the palate are rearranged. The wound is closed with dissolvable stitches. The operation usually takes about 2 hours and is done using a general anaesthetic.
Fast facts
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What are the pros and cons of cleft lip and palate repair?
Surgery can improve the appearance of a baby’s face and may also improve breathing, hearing, and speech and language development. Surgical results will depend on the severity of the condition.
What happens during cleft lip and palate repair?
The surgery takes place in a hospital, under general anesthesia, so the baby won’t be awake or feel any pain. The surgery takes two to three hours, and most babies can go home after one to three days in the hospital, depending on what’s being repaired. Most of the stitches will dissolve on their own and won’t have to be removed later.
What is a cleft lip?
Cleft lip is a common birth defect (problem). With cleft lip, the skin on your child's upper lip has not grown together normally. Clefts may look different from one child to another. Some clefts may only be a small notch in the red part of the lip. Other clefts may have an opening into the floor (bottom) of the inside of the nose.
Why do I feel sad when my child has a cleft lip?
You may feel sad, ashamed, or angry because your child has a cleft lip. You may blame yourself and think you have done something wrong. These feelings are normal. There is nothing you could have done to prevent your child's cleft lip. Talk about your feelings with a caregiver or with someone close to you.
What is a cleft on the inside of the nose called?
Other clefts may have an opening into the floor (bottom) of the inside of the nose. The cleft may be on one or both sides of your child's lip. If it is on one side, it is called a unilateral (u-nih-LAH-ter-al) cleft. If it is on both sides, it is called a bilateral (bi-LAH-ter-al) cleft.
How long does it take for a child's mouth to heal after surgery?
Your child's mouth needs to be protected for at least 5 or 6 weeks after surgery. It may take five weeks or longer for your child's mouth to heal. If the stitches are not protected, they could pull or break. This may cause more bleeding, pain, or scarring for your child. Your child may need another surgery if the stitches separate. It is important to watch your child at all times to prevent this from happening.
Can a child have stitches in his mouth?
It is important to watch your child at all times to prevent this from happening. Your child should not put his hands or other things into his mouth.
What is the procedure to repair a cleft lip?
Surgery to repair a cleft palate is known as palatoplasty .
How old do you have to be to fix a cleft lip?
The Best Age to Fix a Cleft Lip or Palate. Although there are some different schools of thought on the matter, most plastic surgeons believe that the ideal patient age for undergoing cleft palate repair surgery is between 6 to 18 months of age (though the favored age for cleft lip repair is generally much earlier, at about 10 to 12 weeks old). 2 .
How many babies will have cleft lip and palate in 2020?
on January 05, 2020. Cleft lip and palate are two of the most common birth defects worldwide today. They affect approximately 1 in 800 babies born today in the United States, though the incidence climbs to 1 in 500 to 600 worldwide.
Can a child's lungs be permanently damaged?
Damage to deeper structures — such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and lungs — can occur and may be temporary or permanent. As always, only you and your doctor can weigh the pros and cons to determine what may be the best course of action in your child's case.
Is cleft palate surgery risky?
Risks of Surgery. The main disadvantage of undergoing cleft palate repair at an earlier age is that the risk of complications during and after surgery appears to correlate directly with the patient's body weight at the time of surgery. For this reason, surgery on infants is proportionately riskier than surgery performed on older children.
Why is it important to repair a cleft lip?
Updated on October 01, 2020. Proper management of your child’s cleft lip repair is very important to prevent damage to the surgical site. Any complications can lead to additional scarring, a longer healing period, and even increase the possibility that your child will need extra surgeries. This article will explain how to best care ...
What to do after cleft lip surgery?
Managing Pain. Your child will have some pain after their cleft lip repair, which will be controlled using pain medications. Right after surgery, this will probably be a narcotic pain medication that is given through your child's IV. As your child recovers, they will require less and less pain medicine.
Why is antibiotic ointment important for cleft lip?
Antibiotic ointment can also be useful because it prevents the formation of a scab-like crust at the incision, which can sometimes be painful.
How to keep a child from bumping their nose?
When you are holding your child, cradling them is preferred to keep them from bumping their lip and nose into your shoulder until they have fully healed. When they are lying down, be sure to keep them off their stomach as well by keeping them in either a side or back-lying position.
How to protect a child's shoulder after surgery?
After surgery, you may find that your surgeon has used something like the Logan’s Bow (metal bar) or Steri-Strips to help protect the incision. This will remain in place until your surgeon clears the removal of the bar at a follow-up appointment after your child has been discharged from the hospital (generally about 1 week after your child’s discharge date). When you are holding your child, cradling them is preferred to keep them from bumping their lip and nose into your shoulder until they have fully healed. When they are lying down, be sure to keep them off their stomach as well by keeping them in either a side or back-lying position. Pacifiers should also not be used as they will cause extra tension on the surgical site. 2
Can antibiotics be taken after cleft lip surgery?
If your doctor has prescribed antibiotics to be taken after the cleft lip repair, make sure you give the medication to your child on time, as directed, and until the bottle is completely gone. Keeping your child’s incision and sutures clean is very important in preventing infection. Some surgeons will have you clean the incision regularly, ...
Can pacifiers be used after surgery?
Pacifiers should also not be used as they will cause extra tension on the surgical site. 2 . After surgery, your child will have soft arm or elbow restraints on to help prevent them from rubbing or messing with their incision.