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Cleft Lip and Palate Deformities
Oral-facial clefts are birth defects in which the tissues of the mouth or lip don’t form properly during fetal development. In the United States, clefts occur in 1 in 700 to 1,000 births, making it one of the most common major birth defects. Clefts occur more often in kids of Asian, Latino, or Native American descent.
The good news is that both cleft lip and cleft palate are treatable. Most kids born with these can have reconstructive surgery within the first 12 to 18 months of life to correct the defect and significantly improve facial appearance.
About Oral Clefting
Oral clefting occurs when the tissues of the lip and/or palate of a fetus don’t grow together early in pregnancy. Children with clefts often don’t have enough tissue in their mouths, and the tissue they do have isn’t fused together properly to form the roof of their mouths.
A cleft lip appears as a narrow opening or gap in the skin of the upper lip that extends all the way to the base of the nose. A cleft palate is an opening between the roof of the mouth and the nasal cavity. Some kids have clefts that extend through both the front and rear part of the palates, while others have only partial clefting.
Dr. Rottler, St. Louis Plastic Surgeon and Medical Director of St. Luke’s Cleft Lip and Palate Team had the opportunity to follow the growth and development of some of his cleft lip and palate patients.
Patient 1 Bilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate ( Male) Pre-Op (Newborn)
Patient 1 Pre and Post-Op (6 mon
ths old)
Patient 1
Post-Op (1 year old)
Patient 1
Post-Op (2 years old)
Patient 1
Post-Op (4 years old)
Patient 1
Post-Op (6 years old)
Patient 1
Post-Op (8 years old)
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Patient 2 Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate (Female)
Pre and Post-Op (4 months old)
Patient 2 Post-Op (1 year old)
Patient 2
Post-Op (3 years old)
Patient 2 Post-Op (4 years old)
Patient 2
Post-Op (5 years old)
Patient 2
Post-Op (6 years old)
Patient 2
Post-Op (8 years old)
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Patient 3 Bilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate (Female)
Pre and Post-Op (4 months old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (6 months old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (2 years old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (3 years old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (4 years old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (6 years old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (7 years old)
Patient 3
Post-Op (9 years old)
All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute the contents of this web site for commercial use. This website does not contain medical advice and use of this website does not create a physician/patient relationship between you and Dr. Rottler. The photographs of models displayed on the headings and borders of this web site are for decorative purposes only. Link to before & after photos of Dr. Rottler's plastic surgery patients in the before & after photo section.