Cleft Lip Repair Newport Beach

Cleft lip repair is usually performed between two and three months of age, when the infant weighs at least ten pounds. There are many types of cleft lip repair described. The repair that Dr. Chen usually performs for the unilateral cleft lip is a modification of the advancement rotation repair, where one side of the lip is advanced and the other side rotated. The lip is repaired through three different layers, the oral mucosa, orbicularis muscle, and the skin, using dissolving sutures. For patients with complete cleft lips with a nasal deformity, some of the nose is dissected free from its aberrant attachments during this surgery to improve the nasal deformity. A formal rhinoplasty is not performed until the facial and nasal skeletal structures are mature during the teen years.

Cleft lip repairs require general anesthesia and may take one to two hours, depending on the severity of the cleft lip and the complexity of the repair. Nasal stents are usually left in place for up to three weeks to help mold the nasal cartilage.

Please contact us for more information about cleft lip repair or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Chen.