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Cleft Lip & Palate Surgery Beverly Hills, Los Angeles

Cleft Lip & Palate Surgery Beverly Hills, LA

What is Cleft Lip & Pallet?

A cleft lip is a failure of the lip segments to fuse in the midline. It can affect one side (unilateral cleft lip) or both side (bilateral cleft lip). The severity of the cleft could range from a small notch in the lip to a complete separation of not only the lip but also the gum line and the floor of the nose. A cleft nasal deformity is associated with the cleft lip, and its severity correlates with the severity of the cleft lip.

On the other hand, a cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth, which occurs when the two palatal “shelves” do not fuse together in the midline before birth. Cleft palate severity can vary, ranging from involving the soft palate, the soft and the hard palate, or both with the involvement of the gums.

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate is the most common facial birth defect in the world, with an incidence ranging from 0.2 to 2.3 per 1000 births

What Causes Cleft Lip?

The causes of cleft lip and palate are still not well understood. The majority of cases have no known causes. Genetic factors as well as environmental factors such as drugs, infections, maternal illness, maternal alcohol use and, possibly, deficiency of B vitamin folic acid have been cited as possible causes. There are known cases of family history of cleft lip and palate.

A genetic predisposition for clefting has been well established. Although the genetics of orofacial clefting are only partially understood, such information is of great importance in counseling families of affected children. The overall incidence of clefting is higher in whites (1 in 700) and lower in African Americans (1 in 1300). The incidence of isolated cleft palate in whites is 0.5 in 1000. The incidence of a cleft lip (with or without an associated cleft of the palate) is higher in males, while the incidence of an isolated cleft palate is higher in females. For unclefted parents with one child with a cleft lip/palate, the risk of having a second child with a cleft is approximately 4%. This risk increases to 9% when there are two affected children. If one parent and one sibling have a cleft, the risk is 17%. As the degree of familial relationship increases, the recurrence risk decreases; first, second, and third-degree relatives have 4%, 0.7%, and 0.3% risk, respectively. Further, recurrence risk increases with the severity of the cleft.

Cleft Lip Treatment

Treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate requires not only surgical procedures done at various stages but also requires care paid to any related speech, hearing, middle ear or dental disorders.

The cleft lip is usually repaired at 3 to 4 months of age while the cleft palate is usually repaired between 9 and 12 months of age. Ideally, it is done before the first year of age for speech purposes. Both surgeries require an overnight stay in the hospital.

Dr. Tahiri treats both cleft palates and cleft lips at his Beverly Hills plastic surgery center. View our patients’ cleft palate and bilateral cleft palate before and after results.

Cleft Palate Repair Surgery
Cleft Palate Before & After
Bilateral Cleft Palate Repair Surgery
Bilateral Cleft Palate Before & After

Problems associated with Cleft Lip and Palate

Infants with cleft lip and palate may have problems with feeding, hearing, speech and tooth development.

  • Feeding: While most babies with cleft lip only usually don’t have much trouble feeding, those with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate often do. A cleft in the roof of the mouth makes it difficult for the baby to suck forcefully enough to draw milk through a nipple. Use of special nipples and careful positioning of the baby are sometimes helpful.
  • Hearing: Babies with a cleft palate are especially vulnerable to the build up of fluid in the inside of the ear (middle ear). The fluid can block sound making it difficult for the baby to hear. If treated properly in infancy and childhood, the hearing loss should not be permanent. If fluid is detected, it is often treated with a minor surgical procedure. The surgeon inserts a tiny tube into the eardrum to drain fluids and help prevent infections. This procedure is performed by an ear doctor (otolaryngologist) at the time of a scheduled cleft surgery to reduce the number of times the baby and their family must come to the hospital.
  • Speech: Children with cleft lip generally have normal or near normal speech. Children with cleft palate may develop speech a little more slowly than other children. Before the palate is repaired, the structure of the child’s mouth may make difficult to make some sounds and form words normally. It is important to talk to your child and encourage your child to talk to you to help develop these skills. After cleft palate repair, it is very important to enroll your child in a speech therapy program. This will help your child develop normal speech.
  • Tooth Development: Children with clefts may have special dental problems because the number, size, shape and position of both the baby teeth and the adult (permanent) teeth can be affected by the cleft. With proper dental care, children born with clefts can have healthy teeth. Dental specialists and surgeons will often work together in creating long-term care plans for the child as they grow.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about (bilateral) cleft palate treatment options, please schedule a consultation at our Beverly Hills office by calling (310) 385-6090.