Cleft lip and palate repair

Cleft lip

A cleft lip is birth defect where a child upper lip is not fully formed together causing a cleft in the upper lip. A cleft lip can leave a baby with noticeably deformed lip. 

Left untreated a cleft lip could cause a child a whole host of issues. Cosmetically the lip, and often times the nose too, would remain deformed, bringing unnecessary teasing and ridicule. Beyond that, children can suffer from feeding issues to speech impairment. Dr. Goravanchi can perform cleft lip repair surgery to suture the two sides of the lip together and repair the deformed nose. While this may sound like a simple procedure, it may take several procedures to achieve the desired results.

Cleft palate

Cleft palate is a birth defect that takes place during the early development of a baby, in the mother’s womb, where the palate is not fully formed or closed.

Cleft palate repair surgery requires that tissue is taken from other places to repair and rebuild the unformed palate of the child’s mouth. Each cleft palate varies in degree, shape and size so there are no textbook procedures for making the repairs. Cleft palate repair surgery may in fact require a series of surgeries to fully repair the birth defect and make the oral and nasal cavities as they should be.

Several factors must be considered before surgery can take place including the severity and shape of the cleft. The consultation is a vital part of the process.

Dr. Goravanchi does not have a one size fits all mindset for his surgical procedures. Each patient is examined and prescribed the best form of treatment based on the needs and realistic and achievable results.

Dr. Goravanchi has dual fellowship training in Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular Birthmarks and Congenital Anomalies with Laser Surgery and can provide dramatic improvement to your child’s lip and other affected areas.

If your child has a cleft lip, contact us to set up your consultation today. An open line of communication between you and Dr. Goravanchi can help in getting the right line of treatment for your child.