A cleft lip forms when a fetus’s lip tissue fails to merge together. The fusion generally occurs by the end of the first trimester, but if genes or environmental factors inhibit this, a cleft lip can occur. While this can be a serious abnormality, surgery can make it virtually impossible to tell a cleft lip ever existed. Here’s a look at what to expect from cleft lip repair surgery.
When to Have Surgery
A cleft lip can interfere with eating, drinking, talking, and appearance. The goal of cleft lip repair is to get the lips as close to normal as possible. While most experts recommend the first surgery before a year old, follow-up surgeries may be necessary over several years. A surgery performed between 2 and 6 months usually garners the best results.
How Surgery is Performed
The surgery may repair not only the lip but any nearby areas that did not develop properly, or that may be a problem in the future. Your infant will be given a general anesthetic, ensuring that she will not feel any pain during the surgery.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the surgery is performed by making small flaps of skin via incisions on either side of the cleft. These flaps are then stitched together so that the upper lip becomes normal in appearance and issues that could arise from a cleft lip are minimized.
Benefits and Risks
The Millard rotation advancement technique is the most common form of cleft lip repair surgery. It is preferable to other types because it saves the most tissue and allows the baby to have a virtually invisible scar, along with a normal cupid’s bow. It can however, eventually cause the whole lip to be shorter than intended.
There is also a potential for extreme scarring. While this may be less than optimal for appearance, as long as it is external, it should be minimally problematic.
Recovery
With such a young patient, one of the most important aspects of recovery is to ensure adequate nutrition. Generally, a feeding is recommended as soon as possible after surgery. You may need to clean the incision line for a few days following surgery. Topical antibiotics may also be recommended to avoid infection, which is a common risk for any surgery.
The baby’s arms motion may be minimized during the first days of recovery so she doesn’t inadvertently damage the healing incision. This restriction will be alleviated periodically throughout the day to allow normal movement under supervision. Your surgeon’s recommendations may be different, and you should follow their advice.
