As your child grows, he may need more cleft lip and palate surgeries at different ages. It depends on if problems arise and on the treatment plan that the Children’s Craniofacial team has made for your child.
- Your child will be screened regularly by a speech/language pathologist to monitor his speech development. If air is escaping from your child’s nose, this may need to be repaired in surgery.
- Before your child reaches school age, he may have a nasal tip reconstruction (repair of the end of the nose) and a revision of the lip scar.
- When your child is 6 to 11 years old, the cleft in his upper gum will be repaired using a bone graft.
- During your child’s mid-teens, he will have the final repairs to the cleft lip and/or palate and a last repair of scar tissue. He may also need surgery to advance the upper jaw.
- Regular hearing evaluations can indicate if a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor is needed. Children with chronic ear infections may need ear tubes.