The Procedure

Step 1 - Anesthesia

General anesthesia is used to maintain your child's comfort  and safety during the surgical procedures.

Step 2 - The incision

The goal of cleft lip surgery is to close the separation in the lip and to provide a more normal function, structure and appearance to the upper lip. Incisions are made on either side of the cleft to create flaps of tissue that are then drawn together and stitched to close the cleft.

The repair of a cleft palate requires careful repositioning of tissue and muscles to close the cleft and rebuild the roof of the mouth. Incisions are made on either side of the cleft and specialized flap techniques are used to reposition muscle and the hard and soft components of the palate. The repair is then stitched closed, generally at the midline of the roof of the mouth, providing enough length of the palate to allow for normal feeding and speech development, and continued growth throughout life.

Step 3 - Closing the incisions

Cleft lip and palate incisions can be closed with removable or absorbable sutures.

Step 4 - See the results

The resulting external scars of a cleft repair are generally positioned in the normal contours of the upper lip and nose. Over time, these will fade and your child's ability to grow and function normally will continue to improve.