During cleft lip surgery, the separation between the lips is closed. This is achieved by cutting along the cleft and then stitching the two sections of tissue together. If the cleft is bilateral, the patient may need two surgeries spread out by approximately a month to fully correct the cleft lip.
Also Known As:
- Millard procedure
- Hagadorn-Le Mesurier procedure for a cleft lip
- Tennison-Randall procedure for a cleft lip
- Mirault-Blair-Brown procedure for a cleft lip
- Rotation-advancement procedure for a cleft lip
Conditions Treated with Cleft Lip Surgery:
Cleft lip surgery is utilized to correct a cleft lip, a birth defect that causes the lip to be split (sometimes all the way to the base of the patient’s nose).
There are no comparable non-surgical or surgical alternatives to cleft lip surgery.
Anesthesia with Cleft Lip Surgery:
Cleft lip surgery is performed under general anesthesia, which means that the patient is asleep and completely unaware during the procedure.
Potential Complications from Cleft Lip Surgery:
Possible risks of cleft lip surgery include infection, bleeding and a negative reaction to the anesthesia that is used. Other complications can include scarring, bruising, swelling and soreness following the procedure. Some patients also experience nerve damage or have an asymmetrical appearance.
Prognosis after Cleft Lip Surgery:
The prognosis for a positive end result following cleft lip surgery is very good.
Recovery from Cleft Lip Surgery:
The total recovery time for cleft lip surgery is three to four weeks.