dudak-yarigi

Various variations of cleft lip and palate can be seen in 1 in every 1000 births. Families of children born with cleft lip or palate should not panic. First of all, they should consult a paediatrician, paediatricians will consult the necessary branches. Children born with cleft lip and palate may have other concomitant diseases, so the treatment should be coordinated with other specialities such as ear-nose-throat diseases specialist, orthodontist, speech and hearing specialist, psychologist, genetic counsellor, dietician other than paediatricians. Like any surgical operation, cleft lip and palate operations also involve some risks. The most common problem after cleft lip repair is that the symmetry on both sides of the lip cannot be achieved, sometimes a second procedure is needed. The main purpose of cleft palate repair is to eliminate speech and nutrition problems by closing the opening in the palate. There may be healing problems after the operation and a second operation is required in cleft palate as in cleft lip. Cleft lip operation is performed in the 2nd and 6th months, but there are also plastic surgeons who operate earlier or later. For cleft palate, some surgeons consider the 6th month appropriate, while others prefer an operation between 12-18 months. Many factors affect the operation time. The patient’s nutritional status, orthodontic treatment after birth, weight and sociocultural status of the family. The first 72 hours after the operation are extremely important for care. There may be blood leaking from the operation site, which is normal, but the important thing is that this bleeding does not cause the child to suffocate, and families should be careful in this regard. It is important to use soft foods without particles for the first 72 hours. The expectation in families after cleft lip operations is a perfect closure without any scar. However, this is not possible, a small scar remains on the lip, although it decreases over time, in addition, in some patients, the nasal deformity cannot be completely corrected, the nasal operations of these patients should be performed after the age of 17-18 when the nasal development is completed. In cleft palate operations, small openings may occur again and patients may have to use a palate.