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What is Cleft Lip Repair?

Cleft lip repair is a surgical procedure to correct a cleft lip, a congenital condition where the upper lip fails to fully form, resulting in a gap or split, often extending to the nose. It’s typically performed in infants to improve facial appearance, feeding, and future speech development. In India, cleft lip repair is conducted in plastic surgery or pediatric surgery departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and AIIMS, often at affordable costs or subsidized through NGOs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for caregivers.

Why do you need Cleft Lip Repair?

Cleft lip repair is indicated for:

  • Cleft lip (unilateral or bilateral):
    • Unilateral: Split on one side of the lip (70–80% of cases).
    • Bilateral: Split on both sides (20–30% of cases).
    • Often associated with cleft palate, requiring staged surgeries.
  • Functional issues:
    • Difficulty feeding (poor suction), nasal regurgitation, or speech delays (if palate involved).
  • Cosmetic concerns:
    • Facial asymmetry, nasal deformity, or social stigma.
  • Timing:
    • Typically performed at 3–6 months of age (per the “rule of 10s”: 10 weeks old, 10 pounds, hemoglobin 10 g/dL).

The procedure aims to close the lip gap, restore normal lip and nasal appearance, improve feeding, and support speech development, often as part of a multidisciplinary treatment plan.

Why Do Cleft Lip Repair Costs Vary in India?

cost range from ₹50,000 to ₹1,80,000:

  • Procedure Type: Unilateral (₹50,000–₹90,000); bilateral or with nasal correction (₹90,000–₹1,80,000).
  • Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹90,000–₹1,80,000); lower in government hospitals (AIIMS: ₹10,000–₹30,000, often subsidized under Ayushman Bharat).
  • NGO Support: Organizations like Smile Train may fully cover costs in partnered hospitals (e.g., rural centers).
  • Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced plastic surgeons charge more.
  • Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹10,000–₹30,000), hospital stay (₹10,000–₹20,000/day), medications (₹2,000–₹6,000).
  • Insurance: Covered for congenital defects; confirm with your provider.

Cleft Lip Repair Procedure

  • Before Surgery Evaluation:
    • Diagnosis:
      • Physical exam: Assesses cleft type (unilateral/bilateral), extent, and nasal involvement.
      • Feeding assessment: Ensures adequate weight gain.
      • Blood tests: Hemoglobin, clotting profile.
    • Pre-surgical orthopedics (if needed): Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) aligns tissues before surgery (used in severe cases).
    • Consent: Risks, including scarring, are explained.
  • Surgical Techniques:
    • Cleft Lip Repair:
      • Performed under general anesthesia, lasting 1–2 hours.
      • Incision: Z-plasty or rotation-advancement technique (Millard repair) to close the gap.
        • Unilateral: Rotates and advances tissue to align the lip and nose.
        • Bilateral: Closes both sides, often requiring nasal correction.
      • Nasal correction: Adjusts nasal cartilage for symmetry (primary rhinoplasty, often done simultaneously).
      • Closure: Lip sutured with absorbable stitches; nasal stents may be placed to shape nostrils.
    • Intraoperative Tools:
      • Fine sutures: Closes delicate tissues.
      • Nasal stents: Maintains nasal shape (if used).
      • Operating microscope: Enhances precision for nasal correction.
  • After Surgery:
    • Hospital stay: 1–3 days.
    • Care: Arm restraints (to prevent touching the surgical site); clean incision with saline.
    • Feeding: Resume breastfeeding/formula with a syringe or special bottle for 1–2 weeks (avoid suction).
    • Pain management: Mild pain for 2–5 days; managed with acetaminophen.
    • Instructions: Avoid pressure on the lip; follow feeding guidelines.

Recovery After Cleft Lip Repair

  1. Hospital Stay: 1–3 days.
  2. Post-Surgery Care:
    • Pain/Swelling: Mild pain and swelling for 2–5 days; resolves in 1–2 weeks.
    • Feeding: Use syringe or soft bottle for 1–2 weeks; avoid pacifiers to protect the repair.
    • Activity: Normal infant activities; arm restraints for 1–2 weeks to prevent scratching.
    • Scar care: Clean incision daily; scar massage after 2 weeks to soften tissue.
    • Appearance: Initial redness fades in 1–2 months; scar improves over 6–12 months.
  3. Follow-Up:
    • Visits at 1 week (check healing), 1 month, and 3 months.
    • Speech/Feeding assessment: At 6 months to monitor development.
    • Cleft palate repair (if needed): Typically at 9–18 months (as noted in your prior query).

Most resume normal feeding in 1–2 weeks; full recovery (scar maturation) takes 6–12 months. Success rate: 90–95% achieve good cosmetic and functional outcomes after initial surgery; some may need revisions for nasal asymmetry or scarring.

Risks and Complications

  • Surgical Risks:
    • Bleeding (1–2%): Minor bleeding at incision; severe bleeding rare.
    • Infection (1–3%): At surgical site; treated with antibiotics.
    • Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to general anesthesia; rare in healthy infants.
  • Post-Surgery:
    • Scar widening (2–5%): May need revision surgery for better cosmesis.
    • Nasal asymmetry (5–10%): May require secondary rhinoplasty (at 5–10 years or adolescence).
    • Wound dehiscence (1–2%): Suture line opens; needs re-suturing.
    • Feeding issues (1–3%): Temporary; managed with feeding therapy.
  • Long-Term:
    • Speech issues (if palate involved): Addressed with palate repair and speech therapy.
    • Dental/Orthodontic needs (10–20%): Clefts often affect gumline; needs orthodontic care later.

Report fever, severe swelling, bleeding, or feeding difficulties promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What causes a cleft lip?

Genetic factors, environmental factors (e.g., smoking, folate deficiency during pregnancy); occurs in 1 in 700 births globally.

Can I avoid cleft lip repair?

No, surgery is necessary for functional (feeding, speech) and cosmetic reasons; non-surgical options can’t close the gap.

Is cleft lip repair painful?

Mild pain for 2–5 days, managed with medication; infants recover quickly.

How soon can my child resume normal activities?

Feeding adjustments: 1–2 weeks; normal activities: 2–3 weeks; full scar healing: 6–12 months.

Is cleft lip repair covered by insurance in India?

Yes, for congenital defects; confirm with your provider; NGOs like Smile Train often cover costs.

Signs of complications?

Fever, severe swelling, bleeding, or feeding difficulties.

Will my child need more surgeries?

Possibly: Cleft palate repair (9–18 months), nasal revision (5–10 years), or orthodontic work (adolescence).

Lifestyle changes post-surgery?

Use arm restraints, follow feeding guidelines, clean incision, and attend multidisciplinary follow-ups (speech, dental).

Conclusion

Cleft lip repair is a safe and effective procedure to correct a congenital defect, significantly improving appearance, feeding, and future speech development with a high success rate. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, AIIMS) and NGOs like Smile Train provide affordable or free care, often covered by insurance. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps caregivers approach surgery confidently. Consult a plastic or pediatric surgeon for personalized guidance.

Looking for Best Hospitals for Cleft Lip Repair

Note: we are not promoting any hospitals

we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)

  • click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
City Minimum Price (₹) Maximum Price (₹)
Agra
40,000
1,60,000
Ahmedabad
50,000
1,80,000
Ajmer
40,000
1,60,000
Aligarh
40,000
1,60,000
Allahabad
40,000
1,60,000
Amritsar
45,000
1,70,000
Aurangabad
45,000
1,70,000
Bangalore
50,000
1,80,000
Bareilly
40,000
1,60,000
Belgaum
45,000
1,70,000
Bhopal
45,000
1,70,000
Bhubaneswar
45,000
1,70,000
Bikaner
40,000
1,60,000
Chandigarh
50,000
1,80,000
Chennai
50,000
1,80,000
Coimbatore
50,000
1,80,000
Dehradun
45,000
1,70,000
Delhi
50,000
1,80,000
Dhanbad
40,000
1,60,000
Durgapur
40,000
1,60,000
Faridabad
50,000
1,80,000
Ghaziabad
50,000
1,80,000
Gorakhpur
40,000
1,60,000
Guntur
45,000
1,70,000
Gurgaon
50,000
1,80,000
Guwahati
45,000
1,70,000
Gwalior
40,000
1,60,000
Hyderabad
50,000
1,80,000
Indore
45,000
1,70,000
Jabalpur
40,000
1,60,000
Jaipur
50,000
1,80,000
Jalandhar
45,000
1,70,000
Jamshedpur
45,000
1,70,000
Jodhpur
40,000
1,60,000
Kanpur
40,000
1,60,000
Kochi
50,000
1,80,000
Kolkata
50,000
1,80,000
Kollam
45,000
1,70,000
Lucknow
45,000
1,70,000
Ludhiana
50,000
1,80,000
Madurai
45,000
1,70,000
Mangalore
45,000
1,70,000
Meerut
40,000
1,60,000
Moradabad
40,000
1,60,000
Mumbai
50,000
1,80,000
Mysore
50,000
1,80,000
Nagpur
45,000
1,70,000
Nashik
45,000
1,70,000
Navi Mumbai
50,000
1,80,000
Noida
50,000
1,80,000
Patna
40,000
1,60,000
Pune
50,000
1,80,000
Raipur
45,000
1,70,000
Rajkot
45,000
1,70,000
Ranchi
40,000
1,60,000
Surat
50,000
1,80,000
Thane
50,000
1,80,000
Vadodara
45,000
1,70,000
Varanasi
40,000
1,60,000
Visakhapatnam
45,000
1,70,000

Disclaimer

This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.

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