What surgery is done for cleft lip?
A plastic surgeon will repair the baby’s cleft lip first, usually when the baby is about 3 months old. This is done with a surgery called cheiloplasty (KY-lo-plass-tee). It’s done in the hospital while the baby is under general anesthesia.
What is a left cleft?
A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. This results in an opening in the upper lip. The opening in the lip can be a small slit or it can be a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose.
What causes left cleft lip in babies?
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.
How many surgeries are there for a cleft lip?
The cleft lip can be repaired in a single step or in two procedures, depending on factors such as the width and extent of the cleft. The surgeon may try to provide some additional support for the nose. Reconstruction of the nose is usually accomplished at the time of cleft lip repair.
How successful is cleft lip surgery?
Overall, 68.8% cases of cleft lip and palate repair had good outcomes; 67.9% of lip repairs had good lip and nose scores, while 70.2% of palatal repair had a good surgical outcome. Oro-fistula was observed in 29.8% of cleft palate repairs Inter-rater reliability coefficient was substantially significant.
How long does cleft lip surgery take to heal?
It usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks for the incision to heal. The incision will leave a pink or red scar. You can expect the scar to feel hard and tight at first. The scar should fade and become softer and flatter in the months and years after surgery.
Is cleft lip a disability?
MYTH: Children with a cleft are ‘disabled’ or have learning difficulties. FACT: A cleft is not a ‘disability’. It may affect a child in ways that mean they need extra help, but most children with a cleft are not affected by any other condition and are capable of doing just as well at school as any other child.
How successful is cleft palate surgery?
Is cleft lip more common in males or females?
Cleft lip and palate is a common birth defect. It occurs together in 1 of every 1,000 babies, somewhat more in males than females. About 20% have the cleft lip only, 30% have cleft palate only, and 50% of children with a cleft lip will also have a cleft palate.
What age do you fix a cleft lip?
Most times, cleft lip repair is done when the child is 3 to 6 months old. For cleft lip surgery, your child will have general anesthesia (asleep and not feeling pain). The surgeon will trim the tissues and sew the lip together. The stitches will be very small so that the scar is as small as possible.
How serious is cleft palate?
Cleft palate is the most common birth defect that occurs. It happens in about 1 in 700 births. It is not a fatal problem. Most children born with clefts do well in developed countries.
How painful is cleft lip surgery?
Your child may need pain medicine for the first few days after surgery. The area around your child’s mouth will be swollen for the first week or two after surgery. He or she may be more fussy than usual. Most children are back to their usual behavior about a week after surgery.