Cleft Lip, Palate, and Nose Correction
A birth condition where openings or ‘splits’ appear on the roof of the mouth and in the lip.
CLEFT LIP / CLEFT PALATE / CLEFT NOSE
A cleft palate or lip occurs very early in a child’s prenatal development and is a birth condition that can luckily be treated, providing those children the opportunity to lead a normal life. The exact reasons for these conditions are unknown, but it is not as uncommon as one would think.
A cleft, or gap in the child’s palate is due to the tissue in the roof not joining completely while a cleft lip is a physical separation leaving an opening or gap in the upper lip. In some cases, this extends to the nose causing what is known as cleft nose, where the displacement of cartilage can appear as a flattening nose.
Through important and intricate surgery, an experienced plastic surgeon will reconnect the muscles around the mouth for cleft lip, and carefully reposition the tissue and muscles around the palate cleft to rebuild the roof of the mouth. Cases with cleft nose is a bit more specialised and one should trust a surgeon with cleft rhinoplasty experience for optimal results.
In extreme cases more than one surgery would be required and in a lot of cases it might be difficult to complete these until growth has finished. This surgery is however worth it if you consider how a repaired cleft, lip or nose can help your child lead a happy and healthy life.
BENEFITS OF CLEFT LIP, NOSE,
PALATE CORRECTION
BENEFITS OF CLEFT LIP, NOSE, PALATE CORRECTION
● Restoring your child’s natural appearance
● Positively impact your child’s quality of life and confidence
● Cleft rhinoplasty will also improve breathing
CONDITIONS
These facial and oral malfunctions can be detected very early during pregnancy. Openings or splits will form on the roof of the mouth, the lip, or both, when a shortage of tissue makes it impossible for the two parts to grow and fuse together to form a healthy mouth or lip.
Usually, this condition goes together with cleft lip and cleft palate where the lack of fusion between tissues and muscles causes deformity that extends into the nasal area.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Generally, cleft lip surgery will occur in the first 4-6 months and from around 9 months to a year for cleft palate. An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to do a proper diagnosis before advising parents of the age and proposed procedures, especially to assess whether other conditions like cleft nose is present.
Although these conditions are linked, they don’t appear in all cases. A cleft nose is generally linked to cleft lip and palate, but a cleft lip or cleft palate can occur on its own.
