Dr. S.M Balaji
oral and maxillofacial surgeon
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE CLEFT LIP AND PALATE SURGERY
About Dr. SM Balaji
Dr. SM Balaji is one of the best cleft lip surgeons in India. He also excels at cleft palate surgery …
Exclusive Hospital
Balaji Dental and Craniofacial Hospital is world renowned for its successful cleft lip …
What is Cleft ?
Cleft lip and palate are facial birth deformities
Pharyngoplasty
A dynamically functional velopharyngeal sphincter…
Occurrence
On an average, one in every 700 children worldwide is..
Detection
Cleft can occur either in the lip, palate or both…
Primary Lip Repair
The main concern is creating a lip seal to enable the child to suck milk. But before the child is healthy enough to undergo the surgery, a feeding plate may be given to prevent aspiration of milk from the mouth to the nose, through the gap in the palate (roof of the mouth).
Premaxillary set back
Premaxillary protrusion (protruding anteriormost portion of the upper jaw) is a characteristic feature of infants with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate. The surgical procedure premaxillary setback is designed to facilitate lip repair and to fit the premaxilla into the maxillary arch to achieve an idealized arch form at an early age
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the causes of Cleft Lip and Palate
Genetics and environmental factors are both considered instrumental in causing clefts. Cleft parents are known to be predisposed to having cleft children
2. What can be done for for my child born with cleft?
A. Surgical repair of the cleft can be successfully done restoring appearance and function to normal. Most of the babies born with cleft have nasal deformity, so along with cleft surgery, nose correction is also done. We have seen excellent results in our patients.
3. Will my child look normal after surgery?
Not immediately after surgery because of the swelling in the lip region and the scar appears red. The scar takes about 6 – 12 months to disappear to give a pleasing look.
4. How many days should my child in the hospital after surgery?
The child is hospitalized for maximum of 2 – 3 days.
5. Will my child speak like a normal child?
A child can speak well after the surgical repair of the cleft. Children with difficulty should undergo speech therapy and improvement in the speech depends on the co-operation and encouragement shown to the child.