Cleft Lip Repair
Definition
Cleft lip repair (cheiloplasty) is surgical procedure to correct a groove-like defect in the lip.
Purpose
A cleft lip does not join together (fuse) properly during embryonic development. Surgical repair corrects the defect, preventing future problems with breathing, speaking, and eating, and improving the person's physical appearance.
Demographics
Cleft lip is the second most common embryonic (congenital) deformity. (Club foot is the most common congenital deformity.) Cleft lip occurs in approximately one in 750–1,000 live births. The highest incidence exists in North American Indians and Japanese (approximately one in 350 births). African Americans and Africans represent the lowest incidence of...
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