At your initial consultation, your doctor will discuss the details of the procedure he or she will use, including where the surgery will be performed, the type of anesthesia to be used, possible risks and complications, recovery, costs, and the results you can expect. Your surgeon will also answer any questions you may have about feeding your baby, by breast or by bottle, both before and after the surgery. In most cases, health insurance policies will cover most or all of the cost of cleft lip or cleft palate surgery. Check your policy to make sure your child is covered and to see if there are any limitations on what types of treatment are covered. A cleft lip can range in severity from a slight notch in the red part of the upper lip to a complete separation of the lip extending into the nose.
Clefts can occur on one or both sides of the upper lip.
Surgery is generally done when the child is about 10 weeks old. To repair a cleft lip, the surgeon will make an incision on either side of the cleft from the mouth into the nostril. He or she will then turn the dark pink outer portion of the cleft down and pull the muscle and the skin of the lip together to close the separation. The nostril deformity often associated with cleft lip may also be improved at the time of lip repair or in a later surgery. Recovering from cleft lip surgery Your child may be restless for awhile after surgery, but your doctor can prescribe medication to relieve any discomfort.