Common "Cleft Palate Surgery" queries answered by top doctors | iCliniq

Cleft Palate Surgery

Cleft palate surgery is a surgical therapy that closes the split between the mouth and the nose. It is also known as palatoplasty. It is done between ten to 12 months of age. This helps the child to overcome breathing, eating, and speech difficulties.

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Does my child need another cleft palate surgery?

Query: Hello doctor, I am having one doubt in my mind. Previously, I read that all cleft palate children usually undergo multiple surgeries. Is this statement valid for the soft cleft palate as well? Children with soft cleft palate also need to undergo multiple surgeries?My child was having only soft cleft...  Read Full »


Dr. Priyanka Aggarwal

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Multiple surgeries in cleft palate children depend upon the extent of the cleft and the age of the child at the time of operation. Only cleft soft palate rarely need another surgery. But, it is quite often that there is an underlying defect of the hard palate as well...  Read Full »

Can surgery repair a soft cleft palate?

Query: Hi doctor, My daughter is now 2 years old. She has been detected with a soft cleft palate six months back. As of now, she does not have issue while eating as well as hearing. She used to drink milk with normal milk bottle we are in the process of removing her habit of milk bottle. Our pediatrician a...  Read Full »


Dr. Payas Joshi

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern for your child. 1. Usually, cleft palate is repaired at the age of 1 to 2 years. As your child has only soft cleft palate (less severe), the surgeon has delayed the timing of surgery. 2. Thissurgery helps in proper development of speech, p...  Read Full »

Is dental treatment required for all cleft palate surgeries?

Query: Hi doctor, My daughter is 2 years old and was detected with a soft cleft palate. We had performed soft cleft palate surgery for her. I read a few articles and it recommended ortho surgery as for cleft palate. But, I am confused as it is mentioned only cleft palate. I wanted to know whether children...  Read Full »


Dr. Prerna Jain

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com.Soft cleft palate means a submucus cleft of the soft palate. That means a midline defect of the muscles, which failed to completely join at the correct positions during development. But, the bony structure is sound. Many times speech problems are associated with the same. ...  Read Full »

How to close a small gap in the soft palate of a 2-month-old baby?

Query: Hi doctor, My 2.6 months old daughter was born with a soft cleft palate and was operated when she was 2 years old. After the surgery, her speech has improved, and no solid food or water is coming out from her nose anymore. Rarely, just a single drop of milk comes out of her nose. Recently, I noticed...  Read Full »


Dr. Mehak Agarwal

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. After going through the photo (attachment removed to protect patient identity), this is what I suggest. Physical examination of your daughter by a doctor is crucial, as the closure of a gap depends on the exact location of it. If the gap is on the soft palate, then it can...  Read Full »

My daughter has a gap even after Furlow Z-plasty procedure. Why?

Query: Hello doctor, My daughter has nasal speech and only a cleft palate with no cleft lip. Her back of the throat is not closing completely. She had undergone Furlow Z-plasty, but still, there was a gap.  Read Full »


Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop

Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Can you tell me when did she undergo this Z-plasty procedure? Usually, the healing period and gap closure depend on the soft palate's length. The next step will be another surgical procedure, depending on when you got this done. It is called pharyngeal flap surgery o...  Read Full »

Will my daughter speak properly after cleft palate surgery?

Query: Hi doctor, My daughter is 2 years 10 days old now. She has been detected with a soft cleft palate when she was 1.6 years old. The surgeon asked us to wait for a few months as she needed to be more healthier than the current scenario at that time. Now, we consulted the surgeon again and he said that ...  Read Full »


Dr. Deepak Kothari

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Ideal time that we operate a cleft palate is 11 months. This is to improve speech outcome. If all parameters are normal, then the cleft palate can be corrected at this age too before speech develops. So, there is no need to worry.   Read Full »

Why is the uvula towards the left side after cleft palate surgery?

Query: Hi doctor, Our baby is 2 years 3 months old. She had a soft cleft palate. The doctor operated her and closed the soft cleft palate. Now, we can see that her uvula is a little bit on the left side in the mouth and not at the center. We are worried about this. She already went with this surgery in suc...  Read Full »


Dr. Alok Rathi

Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Having uvula at one side is not at all a big issue. But, you should know a few things. Children with cleft lip or palate are usually operated at a very small age, usually at six months is the first surgery done, and this depends on the extent of deformity child has. All ...  Read Full »

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