Congenital Craniofacial Deformity Surgery
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
Repairing congenital clefts of the lip and palate and improving oral and facial function within a coordinated plan from birth to facial maturity.
Overview
Cleft lip and palate are among the most common congenital facial differences. A cleft may affect the lip, the palate or both, on one or both sides.
Treatment is a staged journey that begins in the first months of life and continues until facial growth is complete, delivered by a multidisciplinary team to improve appearance, speech, feeding, hearing and the bite.
Who May Benefit
- Newborns and infants born with a cleft lip or palate
- Children who need an alveolar bone graft
- Children and adults with nasal speech after palate repair
- Teenagers and adults needing secondary lip, nose or jaw correction
Conditions Treated
- Unilateral or bilateral cleft lip
- Cleft palate
- Alveolar cleft
- Velopharyngeal insufficiency (nasal speech)
- Secondary lip and nose deformities
- Maxillary retrusion associated with cleft
Diagnosis
The type and extent of the cleft, feeding and hearing are assessed, and growth and speech development are followed. Over time, the teeth, alveolar cleft and upper jaw growth are assessed with imaging to time each stage.
Treatment Planning
Each child follows a treatment timeline spanning years according to established stages: lip repair usually in the first months, palate repair before speech develops, an alveolar bone graft at school age before the permanent canine erupts, then jaw or nose surgery after growth when needed. Care is coordinated with the paediatrician, speech therapist, ENT surgeon and orthodontist.
Surgical Overview
In lip repair, the lip muscles are restored to their normal position and the skin is closed precisely, often with nose shaping at the same time. In palate repair, the opening is closed and the soft palate muscles are repositioned to support speech. At a later stage, a bone graft is placed into the alveolar cleft to support the teeth and the jaw. These operations are performed under general anaesthesia.
Recovery
Children usually stay in hospital briefly after lip or palate repair, with specific guidance on feeding and wound protection. Wounds heal within weeks, while scar maturation and speech development continue for longer, with regular team follow-up.
Risks & Considerations
All surgery carries risk. Potential risks are discussed in detail during consultation, and may include:
- Swelling and temporary feeding difficulty
- Wound breakdown or a small residual palatal opening (fistula)
- Nasal speech that may need speech therapy or further surgery
- Scarring or asymmetry of the lip or nose
- Restricted upper jaw growth
- Need for later revision surgery
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the lip and palate repaired?
The lip is usually repaired in the first months of life and the palate before the child begins to speak. Timing is tailored to each child's health and growth.
Will my child speak normally?
Many children develop normal speech after palate repair and speech therapy follow-up; some need further speech therapy or surgery to reduce nasality.
Why does my child need more than one operation?
A cleft affects the lip, palate, bone, teeth and nose, and each has its own growth-related timing, so treatment is staged until facial growth is complete.
The information on this website is for general educational purposes and does not replace a consultation. Suitability for any procedure, and its potential benefits and risks, can only be determined following an individual clinical assessment. Individual results vary.
Related Procedures
- Facial Skeletal ReconstructionCorrecting underdevelopment and bony deformity of the face and jaws to restore facial balance and improve function.
- Le Fort I OsteotomyRepositioning of the upper jaw forwards, backwards, upwards, downwards or rotationally.
- Orthognathic SurgerySurgical correction of jaw and facial skeletal discrepancies to improve function, occlusion and facial balance.
Discuss your options with Dr. Bakri
A consultation is the first step toward an accurate diagnosis and an individual plan.