A cleft lip and cleft palate is the separation of the lip and/or the roof of the mouth. It occurs during the very early stage of an unborn childs development when separate areas of the face do not join together correctly. The reason behind the birth defect is not confirmed but it is thought to be caused by environmental factors, genetic factors and a lack of folic acid intake during early pregnancy.

Cleft lip (Cheiloschisis) and cleft palate (Palatoschisis) repair are very common reconstructive procedures undertaken by Plastic Surgeons. Every repair surgery is very different as the degrees of severity vary greatly combined with the complexities of individual anatomical structures.

To repair the cleft lip, the aim is to bridge the gap by bringing together the separated tissue to improve appearance, structure and function of the upper lip. The cleft palate repair surgery is a much more complicated procedure which requires specialized techniques from experienced surgeons. The surgery involves repositioning the tissue and muscle to rebuild the bridge of the mouth which will help to improve the normal function of the roof of the mouth like feeding and speech.

In some cases, additional surgery may be necessary to further improve the function and appearance of the lips and palate. Furthermore, a plastic surgeon is only one member of a small team of experts who will be involved in the whole process of repairing a cleft lip and cleft palate. Other specialists including Speech therapists, Orthodontists, Pediatric Dentist, ENT specialist and a Pediatrician are just some of the professionals required to provide ongoing support before, during and after the repair surgery.

Professor Song Jianxing has excellent experience in cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgery. After treatment, most children have a normal appearance with minimal scarring and normal speech.