I want to have my cleft palate surgery. I'm 26yrs old. Is this possible at my age? What are the complications?

Question

I am 26yrs old..i have a cleft palate and cleft lip..i had my cleft lip surgery when i was 5yrs old..but i didn't not undergo a cleft palate operation..is it possible for me to had my cleft palate surgery at may age?is there any complications?

George Volpe, MD · Answer

It is certainly possible to undergo cleft palate surgery when one is an adult. We have performed on even older patients. However, it is important to know that most likely perfect speech if that is an issue will not be achieved. It would be extraordinarily difficult with a completely repaired and functioning palate performed for a patient to rework all the neurologic input to the brain that is required for accentless speech. One would need to anticipate lots of speech therapy. Other issues however could be solved in the appropriate patient with repair at an adult age. Passage of food through the nose and other feeding issues may be resolved. There could also possibly be an improvement in dental aspects. It would be wise to speak to a surgeon with the ancillary staff which may include speech therapists, orthodontists prior to undergoing to have a realistic view of possible future therapies.

Steven J. Smith, MD · Answer

You can have cleft surgery at any age assuming your general health is acceptable to undergo anesthesia and the surgery process.Without photos, specific information cannot be given, however, an untreated cleft palate in an adult is usually very wide.  Oftentimes, a posterior pharyngeal flap is necessary to close the defect due to the soft tissue deficiency.Generally, the speech quality is very poor in adult patients with unrepaired cleft palates.  The pharyngeal flap may have some beneficial effects on the speech as well.

Sherard A. Tatum III, MD · Answer

You certainly can have cleft palate surgery at your age if there are no other mitigating conditions. It is difficult to be specific without knowing how much of your palate is involved. The surgery could be 2-4 hours long. There are risks of anesthesia problems, bleeding, airway obstruction, infection, tooth injury, and failure to close the cleft completely among others.An important issue is what are your goals. If the surgery goes well, you can expect to have reduced food, drink and speech sounds through your nose. However, your speech patterns might have formed in an incorrect way due to your cleft. This will not be corrected by repairing your palate. You might be able to use your newly repaired palate in speech therapy for further improvement and other surgery might help as well. Additionally, repairing your palate will not change any poor fitting of your teeth. That would require braces and possibly more surgery. Finally, your nasal airway might be involved with the palate surgery and should be evaluated as part of the presurgical plan.

I want to have my cleft palate surgery. I'm 26yrs old. Is this possible at my age? What are the complications?

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