Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Cleft Lip/Palate in Children

Cleft lip and palate are congenital conditions owing to which the roof of the mouth as well as the upper lip may be affected. These may be seen occurring together or separately. In cleft lip, a cleft exists between the lateral and medial lip segments. The upper jaw, nose and lip may be distorted due to this. In cleft palate, there is no separation between the nasal and oral cavities.

There are specialized plastic surgeons who utilize their surgical expertise and experience to successfully address the condition and restore the lip to a normal position. A cutting edge technique referred to as NAM or Nasal Alveolar Molding is used for the same.

What Are the Advantages of This Technique?

This is a reconstructive plastic surgery for the treatment of cleft lip and palate. Promising results are offered by this surgery. The various advantages include:

• The cleft lip is more accurately repaired because the edges are brought in close proximity.
• The nasal deformity is corrected so that a more natural looking nose is created.
• The cleft palate is corrected as the alveolar ridges of the infant are repositioned and its normal anatomic alignment is restored.

Early Treatment Is Needed

The surgeon will recommend the cleft palate repair or cleft palate surgery in the early stages of infancy. If this is not done at the right time, then the health of the child may be affected adversely. Problems will be caused in social interaction as well, such as impaired hearing, psychological trauma and speech abnormality. Orthodontic care and bone grafting may be required by certain clefts that involve the gum line. There are many reputable plastic surgery centers that repair the palate or cleft lip, restore and improve the speech of the child, breathing, hearing and eating and bring about a normal appearance. There is variation in the duration of nasal alveolar molding procedure as per the severity of the condition. The molding period is longer if the deformity is severe. Long term follow-up care is also offered for making sure that excellent progress is shown by patients.

There are several surgeons who are dedicated to helping infants with cleft lip and palate lead a carefree and normal life. They have years of excellence and experience and have earned a good reputation over the years. The internet is the best place for researching surgeons providing plastic/reconstructive surgery and finalizing the best one.