3 Things You Must Know About Cleft Lip Revision Surgery in India

A cleft lip is a common birth defect affecting 1 in 700 children in India. This anomaly occurs when the tissues that make up the lip do not join completely before birth. As a result, there’s an opening in the upper lip that could be large enough to go up to the nose. It is often caused by a combination of factors, including certain antibiotics taken during pregnancy or genetic reasons.

Apart from visual discomfort, a cleft lip causes functional discomforts, including difficulty performing daily activities like eating, breathing, talking, etc. For maximum benefit, it is best to correct the problem in children before they turn one.

Cleft Lip Revision Surgery – Why Do You Need One

In India, cleft lip revision surgery is carried out to reshape the lip and make the patient feel comfortable with their appearance. The success rate of cleft lip surgery in India is high, but certain unavoidable factors could affect the outcome. For instance, when children undergo a drastic change during puberty, the scar tissue created by the surgery and other abnormalities may lead to an asymmetry of the nose and mouth.

How Is a Cleft Lip Revision Surgery in India Performed?

Cleft repairs are more complex than a typical rhinoplasty and are ideally performed by surgeons with expertise in cartilage grafting and adult plastic surgery. Since puberty plays an important role in changing the shape of the lip, it is advised to wait until the patients are 15 or older before getting cleft lip revision surgery done.

The surgical procedure depends on the type and severity of the deformity and the extent of the patient’s concerns. It also depends on whether the cleft lip is superficial or muscle-related. If the problem is superficial, it can be cured with minor treatments such as Botox injections, local fap reconstruction, gel sheeting, fat grafting, or mucosal excision.

Total lip revision and re-repair are required for muscle-related problems, which might include modified Abbe flap, pedicled pro-labial flaps, or orbicular orris eversion.

What Is the Recovery Period for Revision Surgery?

Recovery time differs from patient to patient, but typically it takes a week or two for the swelling to subside and about 3-4 weeks for the incisions to completely heal, allowing the patient to resume normal eating and activities. The scar would probably take about a couple of months or years to completely fade and become softer and flatter.

How Much Does Revision Surgery Cost in India?

Cleft lip revision surgery cost in India depends on the type of cleft lip and the type of treatment administered. Usually, the cost for cleft lip revision surgery in India starts from INR 25,000 and could go up to INR 1,00,000 or more.

Which Is the Best Hospital for Revision Surgery in India?

Richardsons Dental and Craniofacial Hospital offers affordable cleft lip and palate surgery in India. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities and under the guidance of Dr. Sunil Richardson, the hospital has gained global recognition for all the right reasons.