According to Dr. Subodh Singh the best time for a cleft lip surgery that will result in no scars is three to six months from the birth of the infant. This Indian surgeon should know, after all he has been honored with the ‘Smile Train Hero Award’ for performing the highest number of free cleft surgeries in the world on Indian children.
The cleft lip or harelip is a deformity that stems from unusual facial development during the period when the fetus is developing in the womb (usually the first six to eight weeks of pregnancy). A cleft palate is known to accompany this condition at most times.
There are plastic surgeons who can correct these two conditions in infants and adults (subject to severity of the condition), but they are usually part of a team of several surgeons who are collectively referred to as a cleft palate team or craniofacial team.
The cleft palate team typically is made up of a plastic surgeon, a pediatrician, a dentist, a speech and language specialist, a social worker, a hearing specialist, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist, a psychologist, a nurse and a genetic counselor.
From the diverse specialists involved in a cleft lip surgery, the fact that this surgery requires life-long care is reiterated. Children suffering from this deformity have to be nurtured with a lot of sensitivity and understanding so that they can deal with the remnants of the surgery (speech difficulties, minor scars, etc.)
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