Cleft Lip Repair

What this procedure is

Cleft lip repair is a surgery used to close an opening or gap in a child’s upper lip. This gap, called a cleft, happens when the tissues of the lip do not join completely before birth. The goal of the surgery is to bring the two sides of the lip together to create a more typical appearance and improve how the lip works.

During the procedure, a surgeon carefully makes incisions (small cuts) on both sides of the cleft. They then use specialized techniques to join the skin and muscles together. This surgery is usually performed when a baby is between 3 and 6 months old, depending on their health and the clinician's recommendation.

What it treats or fixes

The primary goal of this surgery is to close the physical gap in the upper lip. By repairing the lip, the procedure helps with several important functions:

• Feeding: Closing the lip can help a baby create a better seal while nursing or bottle-feeding.
• Appearance: The surgery helps reshape the lip and may also improve the look and symmetry of the nose.
• Speech: A repaired lip supports the development of clear speech as the child grows.
• Dental Health: It can help the upper jaw and teeth develop more normally.

While the surgery is very effective, your clinician may suggest additional procedures later in childhood to further refine the look or function of the lip and nose as the child grows.

How common it is & where it's done

Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth conditions in the United States and Canada. While the exact numbers vary, many children are born with this condition each year. Because it is common, medical teams have a great deal of experience in providing care and support for families.

This surgery is typically performed in a hospital by a specialized surgical team. This team often includes plastic surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons who have specific training in treating clefts. Most children stay in the hospital for a short time after the procedure so the care team can monitor their recovery and ensure they are feeding well before going home.

Recovery: What to Expect

After the surgery, your child may stay in the hospital for one or two days. The surgical site will likely be tender, so your clinician may suggest specific medicines to keep your child comfortable. You might see some swelling, bruising, or redness around the lip, which is a normal part of the healing process.

To protect the new stitches, your clinician may recommend:

• Special feeding: Using a specific bottle or syringe to help your child eat without putting pressure on the lip.
• Arm restraints: Soft sleeves (sometimes called 'no-nos') that keep your child from rubbing or picking at the surgery site.
• Cleaning: Gently dabbing the area with water or a prescribed solution to keep it clean.

You should contact your clinician if you notice a high fever, bleeding that does not stop, or if your child is unable to drink fluids.

Risks & Possible Complications

Every surgery has some risks, though clinicians take many steps to prevent them. Possible complications can include minor bleeding or an infection at the site of the repair. In some cases, the scar may become thick or firm as it heals.

Sometimes, the lip may not heal in a perfectly symmetrical way (where both sides look the same). If this happens, your clinician may suggest a small follow-up procedure later on to improve the look or function of the lip. It is also possible for the repair to slightly separate if there is too much tension on the stitches during healing.

Outcomes & Long-Term Results

The primary goal of cleft lip repair is to restore the shape of the lip and improve your child’s ability to eat and speak. Most children experience excellent results and a much more natural appearance after the initial surgery. However, it is important to remember that treatment is often a journey rather than a single event.

As your child grows, their facial features will change. Your clinician may recommend 'revision' surgeries—small touch-up procedures—during the school-age or teenage years to refine the look of the lip or nose. Long-term care often involves monitoring speech development and dental health to ensure the best possible outcome.

Emotional Support & Reassurance

Learning your child needs surgery can be stressful, but most children with cleft lips lead healthy, happy lives. You will likely work with a 'cleft team,' which is a group of experts including surgeons, speech therapists, and dentists who specialize in this care. This team approach ensures your child gets the right support at every stage of their growth.

Many parents find comfort in joining support groups to talk with other families who have gone through the same process. Sharing stories and tips can help you feel more confident and less alone. Your clinician can often point you toward local or national resources for emotional support.

Why doctors recommend it

Doctors usually recommend surgery to fix a cleft lip—a split or opening in the upper lip—because it is the most effective way to restore the lip's function and appearance. While a cleft lip is a common birth condition, it can affect how a child eats, speaks, and grows if left untreated.

The repair helps the muscles in the mouth work together correctly. This is important for making sounds and eventually speaking clearly. It also helps ensure the nose and upper jaw develop in a more balanced way as the child grows. By addressing the gap early, clinicians can help prevent more complex issues later in life.

Urgent vs planned treatment

Cleft lip repair is a planned procedure rather than an emergency surgery. Clinicians typically schedule the first repair when a baby is between 3 and 6 months old. This timing allows the baby to grow strong enough to safely handle anesthesia (medicine that puts a patient into a deep sleep so they do not feel pain during surgery).

To make sure the baby is ready, your clinician may look for specific health milestones. These often include the baby reaching a certain weight and having healthy blood levels. While the surgery is not an immediate emergency at birth, following a planned timeline is important to support the best long-term results for speech and facial growth.

Goals of treatment

The primary goal of surgery is to close the separation in the lip and create a natural shape. Surgeons work to join the skin and muscle of the lip so that it functions well when the child eats or speaks. Success is measured by how well the lip works and how the child develops over time.

Other important goals include:

• Improving the symmetry (evenness) of the nose and nostrils.
• Helping the child feed more easily by creating a better seal with the lips.
• Setting the stage for healthy dental and jaw development.
• Supporting the child’s confidence and social well-being as they get older.

Who may benefit

Cleft lip repair is typically recommended for infants born with a gap or opening in the upper lip. This condition occurs when the tissues of the face do not join completely during pregnancy. The surgery aims to close the separation, restore the muscle function of the lip, and improve the overall appearance of the face and nose.

Most clinicians suggest performing this procedure when a baby is between 3 and 6 months old. Early repair can help with several developmental milestones. For example, a closed lip makes it easier for a baby to create a seal while feeding. It also sets a foundation for healthy speech development as the child grows.

Beyond physical health, the surgery may benefit a child’s social and emotional well-being. By addressing the cleft early, the care team helps ensure the child feels more comfortable and confident as they begin to interact with others.

When it may not be the right option

While most infants with a cleft lip are candidates for surgery, your clinician may recommend waiting if there are other health concerns. Doctors often follow the "Rule of 10s" to ensure the baby is strong enough for anesthesia. This usually means the baby should be at least 10 weeks old, weigh at least 10 pounds, and have a healthy level of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen).

If a child has an active infection, such as a cold or a respiratory issue, the care team will likely postpone the surgery until the child is healthy. This helps reduce the risk of breathing problems during or after the procedure.

In some cases, a child may have complex medical conditions, such as heart or lung problems, that make surgery more risky. In these situations, the medical team will work together to decide the safest time to move forward. The goal is always to prioritize the child's overall safety and stability before performing a corrective procedure.

Questions to ask your care team

Preparing for your child's surgery can feel overwhelming. Bringing a list of questions to your appointments can help you feel more informed and prepared. You may want to ask your care team the following:

• What is the recommended timing for my child’s specific type of cleft?
• How many surgeries might my child need as they grow?
• What are the risks associated with anesthesia for an infant?
• How should I feed my baby before and after the surgery?
• What will the recovery process look like, and how can I manage my child's comfort at home?
• Are there other specialists, such as speech therapists or ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors, we should meet with?

In the procedure room

When your child is brought into the procedure room, the surgical team will be there to greet them. The room is a clean, controlled environment filled with specialized equipment designed to keep the patient safe and comfortable. The team usually includes the surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and several nurses.

The patient is placed on a comfortable table, and the team will begin setting up the equipment used to monitor their health throughout the surgery. The atmosphere is focused on safety and care.

High-level steps

The main goal of the surgery is to close the gap in the lip and create a more natural shape. The surgeon begins by making careful cuts, called incisions, on both sides of the cleft. These incisions create flaps of skin, muscle, and other tissue.

The surgeon then brings these flaps together and stitches them in place. This process includes:

• Joining the lip muscles to help the mouth move and function correctly.
• Reshaping the base of the nose if it has been affected by the cleft.
• Closing the skin with very fine stitches to minimize scarring.

Anesthesia and pain control

Cleft lip repair is performed under general anesthesia. This means the patient will be in a deep sleep and will not feel any pain or have any memory of the procedure. A specialist called an anesthesiologist will stay with the patient the entire time to manage the medicine.

Your clinician may also use a local anesthetic, which is a numbing medicine injected near the surgical site. This helps provide pain relief for several hours after the surgery is finished, making the initial waking period much more comfortable.

Monitoring and safety steps

Safety is the top priority during the procedure. The surgical team uses advanced sensors to continuously track vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in the blood. These monitors provide real-time information to the team.

The anesthesiologist adjusts the level of medicine based on these readings to ensure the patient remains safely asleep. This constant supervision helps the team respond immediately to any changes during the surgery.

Immediately after the procedure

After the surgery is complete, the patient is moved to a recovery room. As the anesthesia wears off, they may feel sleepy or slightly confused. It is common to see some swelling, redness, or small amounts of blood around the stitches, which is a normal part of the healing process.

To protect the repair, the care team may use soft arm restraints. These are often called "no-nos" because they gently prevent the child from bending their elbows to touch or scratch the new stitches. Your clinician will provide instructions on how to keep the area clean and how to manage any mild soreness with liquid pain medicine.

Typical procedure length

A typical cleft lip repair usually takes about 1 to 2 hours. The exact time can vary depending on whether the cleft is on one side (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral) of the lip.

While the surgery itself is relatively short, the patient will spend additional time in the hospital for preparation before the surgery and for observation in the recovery room afterward.

Common approaches (open vs minimally invasive)

The primary surgery to fix a cleft lip is called cheiloplasty. Because this procedure involves reconstructing the shape of the lip and the muscles underneath, it is performed as an open surgery under general anesthesia (where the patient is asleep). There is generally no "minimally invasive" or keyhole option for the primary repair, as the surgeon must carefully arrange the skin and tissue to create a natural appearance.

During the procedure, the surgeon makes incisions (cuts) on both sides of the cleft to create flaps of tissue. These flaps are then stitched together to close the gap. The goal is to:

• Close the separation in the lip.
• Connect the muscles that allow the lip to move.
• Shape the bottom of the nose and nostrils.

While the surgery requires incisions, surgeons use specific techniques—such as rotation-advancement—to hide the resulting scars within the natural curves of the lip and nose. This helps the repair look as natural as possible once it heals.

Partial vs total

The extent of the surgery often depends on the width and severity of the cleft. In most cases, a definitive (total) repair is performed in a single stage when the baby is around 3 to 6 months old. This surgery aims to fully close the cleft and repair the muscle in one go.

However, if a child has a very wide or difficult cleft, the clinical team may suggest a preliminary procedure called a lip adhesion. This is a partial, temporary repair done before the main surgery. Its purpose is to:

• Gently pull the separated parts of the lip together.
• Stretch the skin and soft tissues gradually.
• Make the final, total repair easier to perform later.

Lip adhesion is not always applicable and is reserved for specific cases where a one-stage repair might create too much tension on the healing wound.

Revision or repeat procedures

The initial cleft lip repair is intended to be permanent, but additional procedures may be needed as a child grows. Because a child’s face changes shape over time, the original repair might look different during adolescence than it did in infancy.

Your clinician may monitor the child’s progress to see if revision surgery is helpful later in life. Common reasons for repeat procedures include:

• Scar revision: To make the scar less visible or smoother.
• Lip symmetry: To adjust the "Cupid’s bow" (the curve of the upper lip) if it becomes uneven.
• Nose surgery (rhinoplasty): To improve the shape of the nose if the cleft affected the nasal cartilage.

Tests and imaging that may be done

Before scheduling surgery, your care team will check your child’s overall health to ensure they are ready for the procedure. Because cleft lip repair is performed under general anesthesia, safety is the main priority. The medical team will perform a physical exam to check your child’s weight and breathing.

Common pre-surgery evaluations may include:

• Blood tests: A blood draw may be done to check hemoglobin levels. This ensures your child has enough red blood cells to handle surgery safely.
• Weight checks: Surgeons often look for specific milestones, such as the child being at least 10 weeks old and weighing at least 10 pounds, before operating.
• Screenings for other conditions: If the cleft lip is associated with a genetic syndrome, the clinician may recommend additional imaging, such as an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), to check for other health issues.

Medication adjustments

It is important to tell your surgical team about everything your child takes. This includes prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, and any vitamins or herbal supplements. Some substances can increase the risk of bleeding or interact with anesthesia.

Your care team will provide a specific schedule for which medicines to give and which to hold back. Only stop medicines if your clinician instructs you.

Day-before and day-of instructions

The most critical preparation involves following feeding guidelines. Since the surgery uses general anesthesia, your child’s stomach must be empty to prevent complications. Your hospital will give you specific times to stop feeding based on the type of food.

Common guidelines often include:

• Solid foods: Usually stopped the night before surgery (often after midnight).
• Formula and breast milk: There are strict cutoff times for milk. For example, formula may need to be stopped 6 hours before arrival, while breast milk might be allowed until 4 hours before. Always follow the specific times given by your team.
• Clear liquids: Water or electrolyte drinks (like Pedialyte) may be allowed up to 2 hours before the procedure.

On the day of surgery:

• Arrival time: Arrive at the hospital or surgery center at the time listed in your instructions to allow for check-in and preparation.
• Comfort items: Bring a favorite blanket, toy, or pacifier to help soothe your child before and after the surgery.
• Health check: If your child develops a cold, fever, or cough right before the surgery date, call your clinician immediately. The surgery may need to be rescheduled for safety.

General surgical risks

Cleft lip repair is a common procedure, and most children recover without serious problems. However, like any surgery, there are general risks involved. Your care team will monitor your child closely during and after the operation to manage these risks.

• Reaction to anesthesia: Some children may have a reaction to the medicine used to keep them asleep during surgery.
• Bleeding: Small amounts of bleeding can happen, though heavy bleeding is rare.
• Infection: Germs can enter the surgical site, causing redness, swelling, or fever.
• Swelling and bruising: It is normal for the lip and nose area to be swollen or bruised after surgery, but this usually improves on its own.

Procedure-specific complications

Some risks are specific to how the lip and nose heal. While your surgeon works to create the best possible shape and function, healing can sometimes be unpredictable.

• Wound separation: In rare cases, the edges of the repair may pull apart. Doctors call this dehiscence. It can happen if the tissue is under too much tension or if there is an injury to the area.
• Scarring issues: All surgeries leave a scar. Sometimes, the scar may become thick, raised, or red (hypertrophic scarring).
• Uneven appearance: As the child grows, the lip or nose may look slightly uneven (asymmetry).
• Lip notch: Occasionally, the tissue heals in a way that leaves a small dip or notch in the red part of the lip. This is sometimes called a "whistle deformity."

How complications are treated

Most complications can be managed successfully with medication or follow-up care. Your surgical team will have a plan to handle issues if they arise.

• Medication: If there are signs of infection, your clinician may prescribe antibiotics.
• Scar management: To help scars flatten and fade, doctors may recommend massage techniques or special creams once the wound has closed.
• Revision surgery: If the lip heals unevenly, the scar widens, or a notch remains, a follow-up procedure can be done later. This is often planned for when the child is older to improve the appearance and function of the lip and nose.

Pain control medicines

Keeping your child comfortable is a top priority after surgery. Your clinician may use a combination of medicines to manage pain. This often starts during the procedure with local anesthesia, which is a numbing medicine applied directly to the surgical area to block pain signals.

After the procedure, common options like acetaminophen or ibuprofen are often used to help with soreness and swelling. Your care team will tailor the plan based on your child's specific needs, age, and weight. Using these medicines on a regular schedule for the first few days can help prevent pain from becoming severe.

It is important to tell your clinician about any known allergies or previous reactions to pain relief medicines. They will provide a specific plan to help keep your child calm and resting well during the recovery period.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent or treat infections caused by bacteria. Because surgery involves an incision (a surgical cut), your clinician may give a dose of antibiotics through an IV during the procedure to keep the area clean and reduce the risk of infection.

In some cases, a liquid antibiotic may be prescribed for a few days after you go home. This helps the delicate repair site heal properly. Your clinician will decide if this is necessary based on the type of surgery and your child's health history.

Always let the medical team know if your child has had a rash or reaction to antibiotics in the past. If a prescription is given, it is important to follow the instructions exactly as directed by your clinician to ensure the medicine works effectively.

Blood thinners and clot prevention

While blood-thinning medicines are not typically used for infants undergoing cleft lip repair, your clinician will carefully monitor for any signs of unusual bleeding. They will review your family’s medical history to see if there are any known bleeding or clotting concerns before the surgery begins.

Before the procedure, your clinician may ask you to avoid certain supplements or over-the-counter medicines that can interfere with how the blood clots. This helps ensure the surgical site stays stable and heals correctly without excessive bruising or bleeding.

The care team focuses on keeping your child hydrated and comfortable after surgery, which supports healthy blood flow. If you have any concerns about how your child's blood clots or a family history of bleeding disorders, be sure to discuss them with the surgical team during your consultation.

Emergency warning signs

While serious complications are rare, it is important to act quickly if you notice signs of distress. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if the patient experiences:

• Trouble breathing: This may look like struggling for air, gasping, or the chest pulling in deeply with each breath.
• Change in skin color: The lips or skin turn blue or gray, which suggests a lack of oxygen.
• Heavy bleeding: Bright red blood coming from the mouth or nose that does not stop with gentle pressure.
• Unresponsiveness: Being unusually hard to wake up or not responding to you.

Call your surgeon or clinic if…

Contact your care team if you notice signs of infection or issues with the healing process. Your surgeon may want to check the repair if you observe:

• Fever: A temperature higher than the limit provided in your discharge instructions (often 101°F or 38.3°C).
• Signs of infection: Spreading redness, increased warmth, or swelling around the lip repair.
• Wound separation: The stitches or the cut (incision) appear to be pulling apart or opening up.
• Dehydration: For babies, this often means fewer wet diapers than usual, a dry mouth, or crying without tears.
• Pain issues: Fussiness or crying that continues even after giving pain medicine as directed.

Expected vs concerning symptoms

Recovery takes time, and the lip will change as it heals. Knowing what is normal can help you stay calm.

What is usually expected:

• Swelling and bruising: The lip and nose area may look puffy or bruised for the first few days.
• Mild fussiness: It is normal for a child to be unsettled as the anesthesia wears off and the area heals.
• Scar appearance: The scar may look red, pink, or slightly raised at first. It typically fades and flattens over time.

What is concerning:

• Drainage: Yellow or green fluid (pus) or a bad smell coming from the incision.
• Excessive bleeding: While a small amount of oozing can occur, active dripping or clots are not normal.
• Feeding refusal: While eating may be slow at first, refusing to drink fluids entirely for a long period requires medical attention.

Non-surgical treatments

While surgery is the primary way to close a cleft lip, other treatments help manage the condition and prepare the child for repair. For many infants, the first step involves feeding support. Because a cleft can make it hard for a baby to create suction, your clinician may recommend special bottles or nipples to ensure the baby gets enough nutrition to grow and stay healthy.

Another option is Nasal Alveolar Molding (NAM). This is a non-surgical process where a specialist uses a custom-made device to gently reshape the lip, nose, and gums before surgery. While this does not close the cleft, it can make the gap smaller, which may help the surgeon achieve a more natural result during the procedure.

Other non-surgical care focuses on long-term health and development, including:

• Speech therapy: To help with clear communication as the child grows.
• Hearing checks: To monitor for fluid buildup or ear infections, which are more common in children with clefts.
• Dental and orthodontic care: To manage how the teeth and jaw develop around the cleft area.

Watchful waiting

In medical care, "watchful waiting" means monitoring a condition closely without immediate surgery. For a cleft lip, this period usually happens during the first few months of a baby's life. Your clinician may use this time to ensure the baby is healthy, gaining weight, and meeting growth milestones before any procedure is scheduled.

During this time, the care team focuses on the baby's overall well-being. They will check for any other health concerns and make sure the baby is feeding well. This waiting period allows the baby's tissues to grow and become stronger, which can make the eventual repair more effective.

It is important to know that while waiting is a standard part of the process, a cleft lip does not close on its own. Clinicians use this time to prepare the family and the infant for the best possible surgical outcome rather than as a permanent alternative to surgery.

When surgery becomes the best option

Surgery is generally considered the best option when the goal is to permanently close the gap in the lip and restore normal function. Most clinicians follow specific health guidelines to decide when a baby is ready. This often includes the "Rule of 10s," which suggests the baby should be at least 10 weeks old, weigh at least 10 pounds, and have a healthy level of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells).

Your clinician may recommend moving forward with surgery to help with several key areas:

• Feeding: Closing the lip can help the baby eat more easily and efficiently.
• Speech: A repaired lip helps the child form sounds correctly as they begin to talk.
• Appearance: Surgery helps create a more typical facial structure and improves the shape of the nose.

If non-surgical tools like NAM have been used, surgery is the necessary final step to bring the reshaped tissues together. Delaying surgery too long can sometimes lead to challenges with speech development or social interactions as the child grows. Your care team will help determine the safest and most effective timing for your child's specific needs.

Hospital services that commonly perform this surgery

Cleft lip repair is typically performed in specialized children's hospitals or large academic medical centers. Because this condition can affect feeding, hearing, and speech, hospitals often use a "team approach." This means several different specialists work together to coordinate care from infancy through young adulthood.

Common departments involved in this surgery include:

• Pediatric Plastic Surgery: Surgeons who specialize in repairing the lip and nose structure.
• Otolaryngology (ENT): Doctors who manage ear health and hearing, as children with clefts may be more likely to have fluid buildup in the ears.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Specialists who focus on the jaw and dental structures.
• Pediatrics: A primary doctor who oversees general health and growth.

Patient resources and support services

Beyond the surgery itself, many hospitals provide resources to help families manage the daily challenges of a cleft lip. Support services often begin right after birth to help with feeding techniques, as babies with a cleft may need special bottles or specific positions to eat safely.

Support services may include:

• Speech-Language Pathology: Experts who help with feeding early on and monitor speech development as the child grows.
• Audiology: Specialists who perform regular hearing tests to ensure the child can hear clearly during speech development.
• Psychology and Social Work: Counselors who provide emotional support for the family and help children navigate social situations or self-esteem concerns.
• Orthodontics: Dental specialists who monitor the growth of the jaw and the alignment of teeth as the child matures.

Questions for choosing where to have surgery

Choosing a facility is an important step. Your clinician may suggest looking for a "Cleft Team" that is certified by professional organizations. This ensures that all the necessary specialists are communicating with each other about the specific needs of the patient.

You may want to ask the following questions when choosing a hospital:

• Does the hospital have a dedicated multidisciplinary cleft team?
• How many cleft lip repairs does the surgical team perform each year?
• Are there feeding specialists available to help us immediately after birth and after surgery?
• Will the same team follow the child's progress as they grow?
• Does the facility offer support groups where we can meet other families who have gone through this process?

Conditions commonly treated by this procedure

Cleft lip repair is a surgery used to close a gap or opening in the upper lip. This condition occurs when the tissues of the face do not join completely before birth. The gap may be unilateral (on one side) or bilateral (on both sides). In some cases, the opening may be a small notch, while in others, it may extend through the gum and into the base of the nose.

This procedure is often performed alongside treatments for a cleft palate, which is an opening in the roof of the mouth. Because these conditions are closely linked, your clinician may create a long-term plan to address both the lip and the palate to help with breathing, eating, and speaking.

Clinicians may also use this surgery to help address nasal deformities. Because the muscles of the lip are connected to the nose, a cleft can cause the nostrils to look flattened or the nose to appear tilted. Repairing the lip helps provide better support for the nasal structure.

Related symptoms people search for

While a cleft lip is visible at birth, it can be associated with several other symptoms that families may search for. These concerns often include:

• Feeding difficulties: Babies may have trouble creating a seal with their mouth, making it hard to suck from a standard bottle or breast.
• Ear infections: Children with a cleft may have a higher risk of fluid buildup in the middle ear, which can lead to infections or temporary hearing loss.
• Speech challenges: As children begin to talk, they may have a "nasal" sound to their voice because air escapes through the nose while speaking.
• Dental issues: The cleft may affect the way teeth grow in, leading to missing, extra, or crowded teeth near the gap in the lip or gum.

It is important to remember that every child is different. Your clinician may recommend a team of specialists, such as speech therapists, ear specialists, or pediatric dentists, to monitor these symptoms as your child grows.

Evidence overview

Cleft lip repair is a well-established surgical procedure with a long history of medical practice. Doctors and researchers have developed clear guidelines to help children achieve the best possible results for breathing, eating, speaking, and appearance. Because a cleft lip can affect different parts of the face and mouth, medical evidence strongly supports using a team approach to care.

This approach is often called “multidisciplinary care.” It means that specialists from different fields—such as plastic surgery, pediatrics, dentistry, and speech therapy—work together. Research shows that this team-based method helps ensure that all aspects of a child's growth and development are monitored over time.

Safety notes and individualized care

Cleft lip repair is generally considered safe, but like all surgeries, it carries some risks. Your surgical team will take specific steps to protect your child’s health before, during, and after the procedure. Common risks associated with this type of surgery may include:

• General surgical risks: These can include bleeding, infection, or a reaction to the anesthesia used to keep the child asleep.
• Healing issues: In some cases, the incision may not heal perfectly, or the wound could separate.
• Scarring: While surgeons try to hide scars in the natural curves of the face, some scarring is normal. The appearance of scars usually improves over time.
• Need for future adjustments: As a child grows, the lip and nose change shape. Additional procedures are sometimes needed later in childhood or adolescence to refine the appearance or function.

Every child is different. The timing and specific techniques used for surgery depend on the child's overall health and the severity of the cleft. Your clinician will create a care plan tailored to your child's specific needs to minimize risks and support long-term recovery.

Sources used

The content for this section is based on information from the following reputable medical sources:

• Mayo Clinic: A major American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research.
• Johns Hopkins Medicine: A leading academic health system that provides guidelines on pediatric craniofacial conditions.
• National Center for Biotechnology Information (StatPearls): A resource providing peer-reviewed medical summaries and clinical evidence for healthcare professionals.