"Hare lip" is also called cleft lip and palate deformity. It is the most common birth defect in the oral and maxillofacial region. The incidence rate in our country is about 1/700. Cleft lip and palate deformity not only affects the face, but also causes pronunciation. , eating, biting and other oral dysfunction.
It cannot be completed in one or two surgeries
Parents of patients with cleft lip and palate must be very concerned about how many surgeries their baby needs to complete the entire treatment. First of all, we must make it clear that the treatment of cleft lip and palate is a comprehensive sequence of treatments and cannot be completed through a simple one or two surgeries. Let’s take a brief look at the approximate history of surgery and treatment that a baby needs to undergo since birth:
Generally speaking, babies with cleft lip and palate first need to undergo cleft lip and palate repair surgery when they are babies. If there are still obvious excessive nasal sounds, nasal air leakage, etc. after cleft palate repair, it means that the baby may have velopharyngeal insufficiency and needs to cooperate with speech therapy and, if necessary, pharyngoplasty. If the baby has an alveolar process, or there is abnormal development of the upper and lower jaw during development, corresponding alveolar process bone grafting repair, orthognathic surgery, etc. are also required. When the development of cleft lip and palate patients is basically stable, secondary nasolabial reconstruction can be performed as needed to achieve better cosmetic repair results.
Strengthen speech training and relieve psychological stress
In addition to abnormalities in the anatomy of the lips and palate, babies with cleft lip and palate may also have excessive nasal sounds, uneven teeth, and partial teeth. Functional problems such as missing children may even cause psychological stress for some babies or parents. The comprehensive sequential treatment of cleft lip and palate aims to achieve the best results by using the most appropriate methods at the best time of treatment in a planned manner to treat the corresponding morphological, functional, psychological and other aspects of the problem. Therefore, in addition to surgery to improve the appearance, it is also necessary to cooperate with voice training to master the correct pronunciation method, orthodontic and restorative treatment to achieve a suitable bite relationship, and if necessary, psychological treatment is needed to relieve the psychological pressure of the baby and parents.
Make postoperative skin scars no longer obvious
All surgical operations are a trauma to the lip skin tissue, and scars are the inevitable product of skin wound repair, so The existence of skin scars after cleft lip surgery is inevitable and cannot be completely removed. Is there any way to reduce scars and make them less obvious? The answer is of course yes, and it requires the patient cooperation and care of parents. During the first day after discharge from the hospital after the sutures are removed, the movement of the lips should be minimized. For example, the baby should not be allowed to suck the bottle and should be fed with a spoon. At the same time, it can assist in reducing the tension of the tape to reduce the tension on the upper lip. When we are sure that the baby's wound is completely healed and there is no redness, swelling or inflammation, we can use scar removal cream and local massage together. We should pay attention to using a little force when massaging, otherwise it will be ineffective. Of course, in addition to these most basic methods that can be done at home, we can also use laser treatment. Using different lasers at different stages of baby scar formation can also achieve good results, making scars less obvious and re-appearing. Become a beautiful baby again.
Parents need to pay more
After delicate cleft lip repair, if you do not pay attention to postoperative care and attention, you may not achieve the desired results, so postoperative care is It seems very important. During the wound healing process after surgery, it is necessary to prevent the baby from scratching the wound with his hands. Parents can use safety pins to fix the sleeves on both sides to the outside of the pants or use elbow fixators to prevent the hands from touching the face; when holding the baby, the parents and baby should face each other. in the same direction to avoid collision; when sleeping, you can pull up the bed rails on both sides to prevent the baby who can turn over from suddenly turning over and touching the lip wound; when feeding, use a soft spoon or dropper and place it against the baby's chin Feed with your lips to avoid touching the wound; keep the wound clean and dry, wipe the wound with a sterile cotton swab dipped in saline, from top to bottom, do not rub back and forth repeatedly, to avoid food residue, nasal mucus, etc. staying on the wound. One week after the sutures are removed, place your thumb on the lip wound and massage the wound clockwise for 5 minutes each time, 5 times a day. It can be used in conjunction with scar cream to effectively reduce postoperative scars.
In order for children with cleft lip and palate to have normal appearance and good oral function, medical workers from multiple disciplines need to work together and manage the entire process. Parents also need to know the key points of sequential treatment for cleft lip and palate early on. , don’t delay the best time for treatment.
Cai Ming (Chief Physician, Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)