Cleft Palate Surgery in Chunni-ganj, Kanpur

Often children are born with a cavity in the roof of the mouth known as cleft palate or an opening in the upper lip known as cleft lip which occurs due to incomplete formation. A child can be born with either one or both of these openings which can cause difficulty in eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking.

A cleft palate can lead to food and liquids entering the nasal passage instead of going down to the food pipe since the cavity leads from the roof of the mouth to the nose. Cleft palate has a common occurrence in children. The causes for this are not known for sure, however, it is believed that probable causes could be related to genetic or environmental factors.

A cleft lip can cause a split on either one side of the lip known as unilateral cleft lip or both sides known as bilateral cleft lip. These clefts can vary in size as they can either be just a small opening in the lip known as an incomplete cleft lip or extend from the lip into the nostril known as a complete cleft lip.

The only effective way of repairing a cleft lip or palate is through surgery at Apollo Spectra, Kanpur, which involves closing the openings through varied plastic surgery techniques depending upon the size and severity of the cleft.

What happens during cleft repair surgery?

A cleft lip repair surgery is known as cheiloplasty and is performed at Apollo Spectra, Kanpur, usually when a child is around 3 months of age. After general anesthesia is administered, the cleft is closed using stitches to restore and improve the nasal symmetry and shape of the nose.

If a cleft lip is too widened, lip adhesives or nasal alveolar molding (NAM) can be used to help bring the parts of the lip closer together.

For repairing a cleft palate, a surgery known as palatoplasty is performed when a child is between 10 to 12 months of age. General anesthesia is administered so that the child experiences no pain and stays asleep during the surgery.

During palatoplasty, the surgeon will make incisions in the roof of the child’s mouth along the cleft, this will allow the rearrangement and repair of the muscles of the soft palate as well as the loosening of tissues in the hard palate.

These loosened tissues are then stretched out and moved towards the middle of the mouth’s roof. The cleft is then covered in layers and sutures are used to close the incision.

Benefits of the surgery

It is important to note that cleft repair surgeries should be performed while the child is still young since it can hamper speech and physical development. Issues like discomfort in breathing and hearing can be solved through cleft reparation and avoid problems with eating and swallowing.

Cleft repair surgery can also help reduce the possibility of some other associated health problems like dental problems, trouble feeding, fluid buildup behind the child’s ear, etc.

Post-surgery risks or complications

Your child may experience certain complications post-surgery for cleft repair, these may include:

High fever
Persistent pain and discomfort
Heavy bleeding from nose or mouth
Inability to consume liquids

In case your child experiences such complications after a cleft repair surgery for a prolonged period, immediately contact your healthcare provider.

Request an appointment at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Kanpur

Call 1860-500-2244 to book an appointment

1. What to expect after cleft repair surgery?

There may be small amounts of blood in the saliva for several days after the surgery and it may become more difficult for your child to be able to sleep as easily as s/he could before surgery. The surgery may affect the child’s appetite so it is important to ensure enough intake of liquids.

2. Are there any pre-surgery requirements?

Your doctor will question you about the child’s physical and medical history, including past illnesses, allergies, and surgeries. All kinds of liquid and solid intake should be stopped at least 8 hours before the surgery. Breast milk can be fed up to 6 hours before the surgery.

3. What is the post-surgery recovery period?

Most of the children are allowed to be taken back home 1 or 2 days after the surgery. A liquid diet is suggested for at least a week or two.