What is a cleft?
A cleft is a gap in the upper lip and underlying muscle, and/or a gap in the roof of the mouth (palate), which can affect the soft palate, hard palate, or both. A cleft is present from birth and develops during pregnancy. A cleft can affect both the lip and palate, or it can occur on its own.
What is the treatment for cleft?
Treatment of a cleft requires surgical repair under general anaesthetic.
Primary surgeries
Secondary surgeries
Where will treatment be given?
All surgery carried out by the cleft team takes place at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and usually requires at least one overnight stay after surgery.
What information will I/ my child receive about treatment?
Your allocated cleft nurse can provide information about your care and answer any questions you may have about treatment.
Before any surgery is planned, you will be invited to attend a multidisciplinary cleft clinic appointment, where you will meet members of the wider cleft team and discuss ongoing care.
Once treatment has been agreed, our waiting list officer will arrange a surgery date. You will also receive additional information with your hospital appointment letter.
What can I expect during clinic appointments?
Clinics take place in Newcastle, Carlisle and James Cook University Hospital (JCUH)/Friarage Hospital. Your appointment will usually be arranged at the hospital closest to where you live.
Your first clinic appointment may take place as early as 6 weeks after your baby is born, giving parents and carers the opportunity to ask questions about their baby’s ongoing care.
Older babies, children and young people are usually seen at regular intervals. These may vary from every six months to every few years, depending on their individual needs.
Adults will be seen in clinic to assess whether any further treatment or support may be helpful. Additional appointments will then be arranged to plan or review that treatment or support.
How long will the appointment take?
We will try to make your clinic visit as efficient as possible. However, appointments can take time as you may need to see several members of the cleft team.
As a guide, please allow 1 to 2 hours for your appointment. You may find it helpful to bring another adult with you to help remember the information discussed.
We also recommend writing down any questions before your appointment and bringing them with you so that you do not forget to ask them.
When will I be advised on surgery dates?
If surgery is required, the waiting list officer will arrange this after you have been reviewed in clinic.
Waiting times vary depending on the type of surgery and current waiting lists. However, as a guide, you will usually receive around four weeks’ notice of your surgery date.
What if I cannot attend my surgery date or become unwell?
If the surgery date offered is not suitable, please contact the cleft team or waiting list officer as soon as possible so that the appointment can be offered to another patient.
Cleft surgery is planned in advance and requires patients to be well enough to safely have a general anaesthetic.
If you become unwell in the weeks leading up to your surgery, please contact your cleft nurse. You may not be medically fit to proceed with surgery, and it may need to be postponed.
If this happens, we will aim to offer you a new surgery date as soon as possible.
Timeline of care
The care you receive will depend on your individual needs and cleft diagnosis. The timeline below provides a general guide to the care and treatment that a patient with a cleft lip and palate may receive.
If you have any questions about your care, contact your cleft nurse and they should be able to advise you on this.
