cleft lip without cleft palate - MD's in Califirnia

[Emily]

Hello,



My one week old baby (lisa) has a cleft lip but no cleft
palate. We did not know this until she was born. I am gathering
lots of information and have found this site to be very helpful.
I was hoping someone could help me with some of my questions. 1.
It appears that surgery for the cleft lip can be done as early as
in uteuro to the typical time of about 3 months to l year. Does
anyone know reasons for different time frames. If the baby is not
having complications such as problems with breastfeeding is it
more desirable to wait longer before surgery to get a better long
term result? 2. How soon after the surgery can the baby resume
breastfeeding? 3. How long is the typical recovery after the
first surgery? Is the baby in a lot of pain? What type of special
care is needed post-op? 4. Can the doctors predict future dental
problems? When is the dental work typically done? How good does
the repair work usually look? 5. Does anyone have information on
a good doctor or cleft team in the San Fransico/San Jose area? I
was referred to Stanford by my Ped MD. 6. If anyone has before
and after pictures that they would be willing to share I would
love to see them - e-mail me at emdunlap@aol.com.



I have so many questions. I hope someone can help. Thanks for
all the great information on this site! - Emily

[MadDog2139]

I am actually using my mother-in-law's computer and viewing
this site for the first time tonight. I read through so many of
the messages & felt inclined to respond to you. My daughter
will be 2 in September and was born with a unilateral cleft lip
& a cleft of the alvealor ridge. Like you I had so many
questions at first. We decided to proceed with the repair of her
lip as early as her doctor would perform the surgery (10 weeks).
I had heard that the earlier the surgery is performed the better
the scar will heal. Looking back I wonder how I was strong enough
to handle everything but somehow you find the strength for your
child. I thought I would faint when I saw my tiny little angel
come out of surgery with all of that equipment attached to her
but so thankful she made it through okay. My 5 year old daughter
was there with my husband and I and she got very upset at first
too. She wanted to know why her baby sister had to have this
surgery because she was just perfect the way she was. She is
perfect, it just took me a little longer than my 5 year old to
realize it. For 3 weeks after her surgery I fed her with a
syringe & keep restraints on her arms. It was right before
Christmas when we got to take those restraints off for good and
cuddle with her without anything in the way. What a godsend to
hold your child. I just want to protect her from anything that
could harm her. I know she will face more surgeries. I had a lot
of questions about the dental problems she may encounter &
actually found the information I found tonight on the web very
informative. I had heard some of it from her doctors but it is
starting to make more sense now. There are probably so many
people that will be able to provide you with more technical
advice in terms of what to expect medically but I can tell you
that I really don't "see" my daughter's cleft or scar
anymore unless I really look. By that I mean that I was where you
are now & seemed consumed with getting all of the information
I could & trying to predict exactly when & what she will
have to go through. It does help to get all the information you
can until you are comfortable. Real soon you will have time to
just sit back and enjoy God's most precious gift, your child.
Good luck with everything.