Behind a smile
Comprehensive care before and after surgery
Babies with cleft conditions are nine times more likely to die within the first year of life. It’s a staggering figure that illustrates why comprehensive care is so vital, both before and beyond that first surgery.
From ongoing nutritional support, palate repair surgery and speech therapy, to dentistry and orthodontic care – our medical volunteers and specialists walk alongside patients every step of their journey, no matter how long it takes.
1. Ongoing nutritional support
Pre-and post-surgery nutritional support is vital. Malnutrition contributes to the deaths of 3.1m children under five each year – it’s a significant problem for children with cleft conditions, because of problems they face with feeding. Children often need further nutritional support after cleft lip repair surgery to help them recover quickly and stay healthy and strong for future palate surgery and other procedures they may need.
2. Cleft palate surgery
Unlike a cleft lip, you can’t tell if someone has a cleft palate just by looking at them – but this gap in the roof of the mouth can cause issues with eating, speaking and in some cases, breathing. It takes around two hours for a surgeon to repair a cleft palate, but the results last a lifetime, a vital step on a patient’s journey towards a happier, healthier life.
3. Speech therapy – giving children a voice
We often take for granted our ability to communicate and be understood by those around us. Children with cleft conditions – particularly those with a cleft palate – often struggle to form the sounds needed for speech. Palate surgery significantly reduces the need for speech therapy, but some children will need ongoing support with their speech even after their palate is repaired, so our volunteer speech and language therapists are on hand to help.
4. Dentistry
Children with cleft conditions face a number of significant oral heath challenges, including missing teeth, extra teeth or malformed teeth. They also suffer from dental abnormalities such as poor bone support, a smaller-than-normal mouth, and deformations of the roots that hold the teeth in place. Dental cavities and gum disease are also issues faced by many Operation Smile patients, which is why dental surgeons play such an important role in the comprehensive care we provide.
5. Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment helps improve the alignment and appearance of the teeth and can include braces or other dental appliances. If the cleft has affected the gum and part of the jawbone where the teeth sit, then a child may also need bone graft surgery to bridge the gap in the gum before their adult teeth come through.
6. Speech surgery
After cleft palate repair surgery, many children still need further procedures to repair holes or fistulas in their palate. These surgeries are scheduled after an evaluation from speech therapists and surgeons. This collaborative approach ensures the best possible results for the patient.
