Cleft lip is a common congenital malformation of the oral and maxillofacial region. Cleft lip can occur alone or in conjunction with cleft palate. The current treatment for congenital cleft lip is a comprehensive sequence of surgical-based treatment.
Timing of surgery for cleft lip patients The timing of cleft lip repair surgery is important, and in general the younger it is done the better it is for functional recovery. (1) Unilateral cleft lip surgery is performed in infants around 3-6 months of age.
(2) Bilateral cleft lip surgery is performed at 6 to 12 months of age.
However, it should be emphasized that the safety of the child’s surgery is the first priority, and in actual clinical work, the physician should decide the age of surgery according to the specific situation. The decision should be made based on the child’s general condition, weight (5-6 kg or more), safety of surgery, surgical method, voice effect, equipment conditions of the surgical unit, technical strength of anesthesia, surgical proficiency and the requirements of the child’s family.