Congenital cleft lip is caused by the lack of fusion in the developing tissues due to various factors (genetics, environmental effects, radiation, drugs used, etc.) between the 4th and 7th weeks when the lips are formed.
The baby can be operated on when it weighs more than 5 kilos and the blood condition is sufficient.
It is generally preferred to be operated after 3 months of age; because it increases its resistance to anesthesia.
There are types of cleft lip that can range from a slight notch to extremely large clefts that can extend to the nose and mouth.
Surgery: The cleft parts of the lip are brought together (with the muscles, mucosa and skin) and sutured, so that the operation is performed both functionally and aesthetically. In the meantime, if there is a large cleft on the lip extending to the base of the nose, this part is corrected and the opening at the base of the nose is closed, and even a significant part of the deformity at the edge of the nose is repaired. The deformity of the nostril is made as smooth as possible during this surgery. After the operation, the child may be restless for a while. In order to prevent the child from touching the stitched area, his arms will need to be tied and restrained with a special arm cuff for a month. The dressing on the lip can be changed in a day or two.
The stitches are usually of the self-dissolving type, sometimes there may be stitches to be removed. These stitches will also be removed in five to seven days. However, in different cases, it may be possible for these sutures to remain longer.
Postoperative:
It is normal for the suture line to enlarge and redden a few weeks after the surgery. The seam line fades over time; but it is never completely lost. These patients should be followed up and controlled in the early and late period after treatment. Due to the change that will occur in the tissues of the child during growth and development, it may be necessary to correct the deformity of the nostril, which we call cleft lip, when the child reaches the age of two and a half.
If the deformity in the nose is not corrected at an early age, a more damaged cartilage structure may occur. The surgery to be performed here is never an aesthetic nose surgery. It is only intended to correct the disorders in the cartilage structure of the nose tip and nostrils.
Patients with cleft lip and palate require multiple-session revisions after cleft repair, especially for deformities in the cartilage tissue.