Cleft lip and palate |
| Cleft lip and/or palate is one of the most commonly occurring congenital anomalies. Although, this condition is fairly
common, affecting 1 in every 700 newborn babies, the causative factors behind it have yet to be completely determined.
Children born with cleft and craniofacial deformities are evaluated, followed and treated by the team members of the
University of Florida Craniofacial Center. |
More Information...
UF
Craniofacial Center
Cleft
Palate Foundation
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| Cleft Lip |
Cleft lip may be unilateral or bilateral. Repair is generally done at age 10 to 12 weeks, although optimum timing of
repairs may differ from child to child. The repair of the cleft lip is done in the operating room under general anesthesia.
The lip repair includes reconstruction of the muscle structure of the upper lip and steps to improve the deformity of the nose.
After surgery there will be sutures (stitches) in your child's lip. These sutures usually do not require removal. Silicone
rubber tubes (stents) may be used in the nose to help correct the deformed nostril, and elbow restraints may be used
temporarily.
Wound Care:
The suture line should be cleaned frequently to prevent crust formation and infection. You may use a cotton-tipped applicator
and half strength hydrogen peroxide. The doctor may prescribe an ointment for you to put over the incision and sutures. |
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| Cleft Palate |
| The repair of the cleft palate is usually done at six to twelve months of age. More than one operation may be necessary
to close the cleft palate. The cleft palate operation is done under general anesthesia in the operating room. At the
University of Florida, most children will be treated with the Furlow Palatoplasty. The usual hospital stay after surgery is
two days. Feeding is resumed immediately postoperatively as soon as tolerated by the patient. |
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| Pharyngoplasty |
| Pharyngoplasty is the general term used to refer to surgery that is sometimes
required to treat hypernasal speech, either after cleft palate repair
or unrelated to clefts of the palate. At the University of Florida
several operations are used for treating hypernasality (velopharyngeal
insufficiency). Patients are evaluated by members of the UF Craniofacial
Center and a treatment plan is developed. Most patients who require
this kind of surgery will be in hospital two days after the procedure,
which lasts about two hours. The postoperative considerations and
care are much the same as for repair of the cleft palate. |
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| Craniofacial Anomalies |
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Craniofacial anomalies include craniosynostosis (premature closure of the sutures in the skull) and other, rarer conditions.
These are treated within the context of the University of Florida Craniofacial
Center, primarily by the Pediatric
Neurosurgeon and the Plastic Surgeon. |
UF Craniofacial Center
UF Neurosurgery
Cleft
Palate Foundation
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| Microtia |
| Microtia occurs in about one out of every 7000 to 8000 births. No one can say for sure why microtia occurs. It usually
affects one ear, but may affect both ears. Microtia is often associated with other conditions or syndromes that disfigure the
face or head. The middle ear, as well as the outer ear, is affected in microtia, and hearing is reduced in the microtic ear.
The team otolaryngologist will evaluate the hearing and middle ear status and advise treatment. Treatment for the external
ear deformity in microtia is usually a surgical staged ear reconstruction, done in three or four operations. The patient?s
own rib cartilage is used in the reconstruction. A second form of treatment is a prosthesis, or artificial ear, that is
secured by an implantable device. Both options are used at the University of Florida. |
