Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery

Abstract

The treatment of cleft lip and palate deformities requires thoughtful consideration of the anatomic complexities of the deformity and the delicate balance between intervention and growth. Comprehensive and coordinated care from infancy through adolescence is essential in order to achieve an ideal outcome, and surgeons with formal training and experience in all of the phases of care must be actively involved in the planning and treatment. Specific goals of surgical care for children born with cleft lip and palate include the following: • Normalized esthetics of the lip and nose • Intact primary and secondary palate • Normal speech, language, and hearing • Nasal airway patency • Class I occlusion with normal masticatory function • Good dental and periodontal health • Normal psychosocial development Successful management of the child born with a cleft lip and palate requires coordinated care provided by a number of different specialties including oral/maxillofacial surgery, otolaryng‐ ology, genetics, speech pathology, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and others. In most cases care of patients with congenital clefts has become a subspecialty area of clinical practice within these different professions. In addition to surgery for cleft repair, treatment plans routinely involve multiple treatment interventions to achieve the above-stated goals. Because care is provided over the entire course of the child’s development, long-term follow-up is critical