Oral-facial clefts refer to certain birth defects in which the tissues of the mouth or lip are not properly formed during fetal development
. A Cleft lip could be seen as a narrow opening in the skin of the upper lip that extends till the base of the nose. A Cleft palate is a gap or opening between the roof of the mouth and the nasal cavity.
However, both Cleft lip and Cleft palate are treatable. Children born with Oral Clefts can undertake reconstructive surgery within the first 12 to 18 months to rectify the defect and thus improve their facial appearance.
Surgery for Oral Clefting
"Surgery for Oral Clefting is generally performed during the first 3 to 6 months so as to repair cleft lip and between 9 and 14 months to repair the cleft palate.
"If the cleft is unilateral, Cleft lip requires only one reconstructive surgery. Bilateral Cleft lips are repaired in two surgeries, within an interval of one month.
" Cleft palate surgery essentially involves drawing tissue from either side of the mouth to reconstruct the palate. The initial surgery is aimed at creating a functional palate. This surgery minimizes the chances of fluid developing in the middle ears, helps in the proper development of the teeth and facial bones as well as helps in enhancing speech development and feeding abilities.
"The necessity for more operations often depends on the skill of the surgeon. It also depends on certain other factors such as the severity of the cleft, its shape, and the thickness of the available tissue that could be used to rebuild the palate.
"Additional surgeries would help in improving the appearance of the lip and nose, close gaps between the mouth and nose, enable smoother breathing, and stabilizing and realignment of the jaw. Later surgeries are often scheduled after an interval of 6 months. This allows sufficient time to heal and significantly lessens the chances of serious scarring.
"The scars left by the initial surgery will be repaired only when the child reaches his/her adolescence i.e. when the facial structure of the child is completely developed.