INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, GUJARATI AND HINDI
What is a cleft lip repair?
Cleft lip repair is an operation to reconstruct the shape of the lip . If there is a cleft palate as well, then the front half (anterior) of the palate is also repaired. The earliest we do the operation is when babies are approximately three months of age. Babies are usually in hospital for about 3-4 days after the operation.
Bilateral Cleft Lip
Unilateral Cleft Lip
Unilateral Cleft Lip
What does the operation involve?
The operation involves joining the tissues that have not joined before birth. The surgeon may use an operating microscope to allow the small structures to be accurately joined. The operation usually takes from one to two hours, depending on the extent of the cleft.
What anaesthetic is used?
Your baby is given a general anaesthetic by an anaesthetist who specializes in giving anaesthetics to babies and children.
Are there any risks?
There is a small risk of infection following the operation, but your baby will be given an antibiotic injection during the operation, and continue to take antibiotics afterwards in the form of medicine. Every anaesthetic carries a risk of complications, but this is very small.
Your baby’s mouth will be sore after the operations, partly due to the operation itself, but also because the surgeon will need to move it about to repair the lip. The nurses will give pain relief medicine, so that he or she is not uncomfortable, particularly when feeding.
When can my baby feed?
We are happy for your baby to feed as soon as he or she is awake after the anaesthetic. The first feed may be difficult, partly because the lip is numb from the operation.
What happens afterwards?
When your baby has returned to the ward, he or she may be offered fluids that may be taken more easily from a spoon or syringe. If your baby is reluctant to drink it may be necessary to give extra fluid through the drip. The drip will be removed once he or she is drinking well again. It is important to give your baby some cooled, boiled water to drink after each feed and medicine to keep the inside of the mouth clean.
Soon after the operation there may be some bleeding but this usually stops quickly. Only very rarely will any further measures be necessary to stop the bleeding. Your child’s lip may look swollen and bruised for the first few days after the operation, but this will soon go down.
A course of antibiotics will be prescribed to reduce the risk of infection. You will need to continue giving this antibiotic medicine for a few days after leaving hospital to complete the course.
Unilateral Cleft Lip (After surgery)
Bilateral Cleft Lip (After Surgery)
When you get home…
By the time your child goes home he or she should be getting back to a normal feeding pattern. It is important to make sure your child is drinking enough. His or her lip may be swollen after the operation and the shape of his or her mouth may be different, but your child will soon adapt. You will be called to hospital for removal of the stitches on the 7th day following surgery.
GUJARATI
કપાયેલો હોંઠ અને ફાટેલુંં તાળવું
કપાયેલો હોંઠ અને ફાટેલુંં તાળવું દર છસો એ એક બાળકમાં જાવામાં આવે છે. ઘણીવાર બાળકનો ફક્ત હોંઠ જ કપાયેલો હોય છે. જ્યારે ઘણીવાર હોંઠ, તાળવું અને પેઢું ત્રણે કપાયેલા હોય છે. માતા અથવા પિતામાં જા કપાયેલો હોંઠ અને ફાટેલું તાળવું હોય તો તેમનાં બાળકોમાં પણ આ ખોડ આવવાની શક્યતા બીજા બાળકો કરતાં વધારે રહેલ છે. ફાટેલું તાળવું હોવાથી બાળક સ્તનપાન નથી કરી શકતું તેથી આવા બાળકોને એક વિશેષ પ્રકારની બોટલ અથવા વાટકી અને ચમચીથી દૂધ પીવડાવવું જાઈએ. સ્તનપાન કરાવવાથી અથવા સાદી દૂધની બાટલીઓથી ઘણીવાર બાળકને આંતરાશ જઈ બાળકની જિંદગીને જાખમ પણ ઊંભું થતું હોય છે. કપાયેલા હોંઠનું આૅપરેશન ત્રણ મહિનાની ઉંમરમાં કરવામાં આવે છે. ફાટેલા તાળવાનું આૅપરેશન નવ થી બાર મહિનાની ઉંમરમાં કરવામાં આવે છે. ફાટેલા તાળવાના આૅપરેશન પછી બાળકોને ઘણીવાર વાંકાચૂકા દાંતની સારાવાર કરવાની જરૂર પડે છે. સ્પીચ થેરાપીની પણ જરૂર પડી શકે છે. •
HINDI
कटा होंठ और फटा तालु
कटा होंठ और फटा तालु हर ६०० में से एक बच्चे में देखा गया है। कई बार बालक का केवल होंठ ही कटा हुआ होता है। जबकि कभी-कभी होंठ, तालु और मसूड़े तीनों ही फटे हुए होते हैं। यदि माता या पिता में से किसी को भी कटे होंठ या फटे हुए तालु की समस्या है तो, उनके बच्चों में अन्य बच्चों के अपेक्षा यह दोष होने की संभावना अधिक रहती है। कटे होंठ या फटे तालु के साथ जन्मे शिशु को स्तनपान करने में तकलीफ होती है। अतः ऐसे बालक को विशेष प्रकार की बोतल या कटोरी-चम्मच से दूध पिलाना पड़ता है। सामान्य स्तनपान अथवा दूध की बोतल से दूध पिलाने पर कई बार दूध बच्चे के फेफडे में जाने की संभावना है और बच्चे की जान को खतरा पैदा कर सकता है। कटे होंठ का ऑपरेशन तीन महीने की उम्र में किया जाता है। फटे तालु का ऑपरेशन नौ से बारह महीने की आयु में किया जाता है। फटे तालु के कारण कई बार दांतों का उपचार अर्थात टेढ़े-मेढ़े दांतों के उपचार की आवश्यकता होती है। स्पीच थेरापी की भी आवश्यकता हो सकती है।•
