Craniofacial Surgery

Paediatric Plastic And Craniofacial Surgery

Paediatric cleft lip and cleft palate is congenital disorders of craniofacial complex which occur in the early part of pregnancy and are present at birth. Paediatric cleft palate occurs when the shelves of the palate fail to meet or fuse together, resulting in an opening in the roof of the mouth. Paediatric cleft lip occurs when the presence of one or two vertical fissures in the upper lip can be on one side only or on both sides resulting from failure of the normal process of lip fusion during embryonic life.

A pediatric plastic surgeon and oral maxillofacial surgeon are critical members of child's pediatric reconstructive surgery team. Their role and goal is to create a functional lip and palate that will appear as normal as possible, providing support for the lip and base of the nose area.