Nowadays, there are two different views on the optimal age for cleft palate repair: one is to advocate early surgery, around 8 to 18 months of age; the other is that it is more appropriate to perform the surgery at the pre-school age, i.e. around 5 to 6 years old.
1. Early surgery: Some scholars believe that it is more appropriate to perform cleft palate repair surgery before the child with cleft palate starts to learn to speak, i.e., 8 to 18 months, at which time the child can learn to speak more naturally, and it is also conducive to the development of the child’s normal habit of articulation.
2. Pre-school surgery: Some other scholars believe that it is more appropriate to perform cleft palate repair at pre-school age, i.e., around 5-6 years old, after the maxillary development is basically completed, as this time the surgery can reduce the adverse effects on the maxillary growth and development, and reduce the difficulties and risks of anesthesia and surgery.
3. With the continuous improvement and innovation of anesthesia technology, more and more scholars believe that early cleft palate repair has the advantages of convenient operation, less bleeding, light postoperative reaction, postoperative palato-pharyngeal closure function and voice effect are better than those who have been operated at older age.
Parents should bring their children with cleft palate to a medical institution in time, and a professional doctor should judge the optimal age for the operation according to the child’s general condition, maxillary development, surgical method and the actual situation of the department, so as to ensure the safety and quality of the operation.