Will cleft palate surgery affect speech development?

Hi doctor,

My daughter is 2 years and 10 days old now. She was 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 healthier than the current scenario at that time. Now, we consulted the surgeon again, and he said that my daughter can get surgery now.

But we also checked with a few other surgeons as a second opinion, and they questioned us for delaying the operation. They informed us that it should be done normally by around 6 months of age. I want to know:

1. Are we really late for this surgery?
2. As of now, she speaks a few words, but it seems a few words are coming from her nose. Will she able to speak properly after surgery?
3. Also, we are worried about whether she will speak or not. Is it too late for us to take her for surgery?
4. Another surgeon has diagnosed her with a soft cleft palate and a hard palate. Will they handle both in the same surgery? Please help.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

I need clarification on the following points as well. Will she be able to speak properly after surgery? How many operations does she need overall?

Thank you.