Bifid Uvula Surgery | Procedure, Cost, Complications
Uvula or palatine uvula refers to the little piece of teardrop-shaped flesh that hangs on the back of the throat. It primarily helps prevent food and liquid from going up the nose when swallowing. It also helps secrete saliva, keeping the throat and mouth moist. While it does help by inducing the gag reflex when someone touches the soft palate, humans can live without one. Bifid uvula refers to a condition where the uvula is split into two. This could be an isolated problem but is often linked to another complication submucous cleft palate. Read on to learn how this can be corrected, including bifid uvula surgery.
How Is Bifid Uvula Diagnosed?
Bifid uvula is diagnosed in newborns during a routine examination. Still, sometimes, the problem isn’t noticed until they struggle during feeding or when the milk or formula leaks through the nose. Your paediatrician will refer the baby to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to check for submucous cleft palate.
In extremely rare circumstances, it could indicate a rare genetic disorder called Loeys-Dietz syndrome, which is associated with heart problems.
How Is Bifid Uvula Treated?
Generally, patients with bifid uvula have hypernasal speech. If this is the case, the doctor may recommend speech and feeding therapy. But if the speech is extremely nasal, the physician may suggest bifid uvula surgery to repair the uvula and treat the cleft palate.
The bifid uvula surgery is performed under general anaesthesia, and the patient may be required to stay overnight. Sometimes, the doctor may suggest speed or feed therapy after surgery.
Bifid uvula surgery cost in India depends on the type of surgery performed and the geographical location of the hospital where the surgery is performed.
Bifid Uvula Surgery Before and After
As with any other procedure, bifid uvula surgery has complications, but these are minimal. In some cases, the patient may experience bleeding after surgery. When this happens, you must contact the surgeon immediately.
Submucous Cleft Palate
A submucous cleft palate is a type of cleft palate that refers to a condition where there’s an opening or cleft under the mucous membrane, i.e., the tissues covering the soft palate. It happens when the soft palate muscles don’t join together during fetal development. To the uninitiated, the palate refers to the roof of the mouth and is divided into:
- Hard Palate – the front bony portion of the palate.
- Soft Palate – the soft back portion of the roof of the mouth.
A submucous cleft palate makes your child prone to speech difficulties and frequent ear infections. This involves the surgeon opening the palate to join the muscles and closing the palate again.
If your child has hypernasal speech or complains of frequent ear pain, you must schedule a visit at our bifid uvula surgery hospital in India. Our surgeons are happy to guide you through the process and even perform a bifid uvula surgery procedure if required.