As with any kind of surgery, the length of cleft lip surgery varies on a case-by-case basis. Rest assured that you will be in the company of highly skilled surgeons and medical staff who will do their best to put you at ease and ensure the safety of your child and yourself.
Cleft lip surgery is performed by a pediatric surgeon to correct a birth defect in which the lip is split down the middle either vertically or horizontally. Even though it’s one of the most common congenital malformation, the procedure is fairly complex and takes place over a number of sessions.
How Long Does Cleft Lip Surgery Take , What To Expect After Cleft Lip Surgery
How Long Does Cleft Lip Surgery Take
The length of time the procedure takes depends on the complexity of the deformity and how many procedures are performed. The average time for cleft lip repair is about one hour.
In some cases, it can take longer. For example, if you are having a bilateral cleft repair, where both sides of the lip are repaired at once, it may take two hours or more.
Cleft lip surgery is done under general anesthesia, which means you will be asleep and pain-free during the procedure. It usually takes about two hours to complete.
A team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals will perform your cleft lip repair. Your surgeon uses tiny stitches to connect the different parts of your upper lip together, as well as small pieces of tissue from other parts of your body to create a new upper lip.
The repair requires a lot of precision and skill, which is why it’s best to have expert help if you’re considering cleft lip surgery.
Cleft lip surgery is a two-stage procedure. The first stage is done when the baby is about 3 months old. The second stage is done when the child is between 1 and 2 years old.
The first operation can take from 1 to 4 hours, depending on how large your child’s cleft is and what type of grafting material was used during the first surgery. The second operation takes 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much correction needs to be done.
Risks of cleft lip surgery
Cleft lip surgery has risks, including:
Bleeding
Infection
Scarring
Tissue problems
Cleft lip surgery is a procedure to repair a cleft lip. The operation can be done at any age, but the earlier it’s performed, the less likely it is that the child will have permanent facial scarring from the cleft.
The surgeon will numb the area with local anesthetic and then make an incision in your child’s lower lip (or upper lip, depending on which side of the mouth has the cleft). This incision is made to expose the underlying tissue that needs to be repaired. The surgeon will then close up the cleft with stitches or surgical staples.
Cleft lip surgery usually takes about 1 hour for each side of the mouth (2 hours total). Your child may stay overnight in the hospital after having his or her cleft repaired if there are other complications like breathing problems or bleeding.
Cleft lip surgery can take two to three hours and is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. The entire operation may be done in one session or staged over several days.
The surgeon will make a small incision where the cleft should have been closed. The surgeon will then remove the scar tissue and close the lip.
It’s possible that your child will experience some swelling after surgery, but that should subside within a few weeks. In some cases, you may need to apply an antibiotic ointment to your child’s lip for up to 10 days after surgery.
Cleft palate repair is usually performed at about 6 months old and involves making two or three small incisions in your child’s mouth to expose the palate and allow access for sutures or other devices that hold the tissue together during healing (mesh).
What To Expect After Cleft Lip Surgery
The surgery itself will last up to two hours. It’s usually performed under general anesthesia, but some surgeons may use local anesthesia.
The surgeon will make an incision in the middle of the lower lip. The tissue that separates the mouth from the nose is then removed and replaced with a small piece of skin taken from behind the ear or from your stomach area. The new skin is sewn together with stitches or staples.
You may be able to go home on the same day as your surgery if you have local anesthesia or have not had any blood transfusions during surgery. If you have general anesthesia, you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days so that doctors can monitor your recovery and make sure your body does not reject its new tissue.
The initial surgery to repair a cleft lip is usually performed within the first few months of life. The procedure is called a primary repair.
During this first surgery, the surgeon will close the gap between your child’s lip and nose. He or she may also make other changes to the shape of your child’s lip, such as moving it closer to the nose or changing the angle of an open bite (where the upper teeth don’t fit together).
This surgery usually takes about 1 hour. Afterward, your child may have an overnight stay in the hospital.
If your child’s cleft involves a large gap between his or her nose and upper lip, your doctor might recommend waiting until your child is older before performing a primary repair. This can be done to give more time for tissue to grow back together naturally.
When Should I Expect My Child’s Stitches To Come Out?
Cleft lip surgery, also called a cleft repair or cleft palate repair, is performed to correct a birth defect that affects the upper lip and nose. The surgeon will cut the tissues and move them into their proper positions. This may require taking tissue from other parts of your baby’s body.
When should I expect my baby to be ready for cleft lip surgery?
It’s best to wait until your baby is at least 3 months old before having corrective surgery. This gives the tissues time to heal properly and allows your baby to gain enough weight so he or she can handle anesthesia better. In some cases, it can take up to 9 months for the tissue to heal enough for corrective surgery. A premature infant may need more time before having corrective surgery.
After you have had your surgery, you will be taken to a recovery room and monitored for several hours.
You may experience some discomfort, especially if local anesthesia was used. You may be given pain medicine such as Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil).
When you are ready to leave the hospital, your doctor will determine how long your wound needs to heal before you can go home. This usually takes about two weeks.
In most cases, the stitches are removed within 10 days after surgery, but they may remain in place longer if there is significant scarring.
It’s important to keep your wound clean and dry while it is healing.
After your surgery, you will be taken to a recovery room and given pain medication. Your surgeon will check on you frequently, and after a short time you will be moved to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) where your vital signs are monitored until you are stable enough to be transferred back to the hospital floor.
Your surgeon may prescribe antibiotics for prophylaxis against infection, which usually begins about three days after surgery. You will also receive prescriptions for oral pain medication and eye drops if needed.
You will have swelling and bruising around the lip area that typically lasts up to two weeks after surgery. You should avoid blowing your nose or spitting while this is present because it could cause bleeding or damage to the healing tissue. You should also avoid eating solid foods for at least one week after surgery because doing so could cause the stitches in your lip area to reopen or break open prematurely.
If you are having difficulty breathing through your nose due to swelling, talk with your doctor about using an oral steroid such as prednisone until symptoms improve naturally.