Dan Said:

Does regular health insurance cover cleft lip surgery?

We Answered:

My 2 year old daughter was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate..It's covered everything so far except for $112 in anestesia,,Can't complain about that figuring how much one surgery costs..There is a bill in congress right now trying to be passed..Cleft lip and palate is not cosmetic..Even the dental part of it..When you go to a cleft clinic (which we will on Monday ALL day) you see audiologists, speech therapists, plastic surgeon, dentists, orothodontists, just to name a few..There's a lot that is affected with a cleft from hearing to speech, swallowing, breathing, you name it..Most insurance companies will cover it..If not, you appeal..There are so many families without any coverage and I know The Shriners help in so many cases..Help is out there!

Francis Said:

Can you please show me a picture of a cleft lip before surgery?

We Answered:

http://www.medical-definitions.net/image…

http://discovery.coe.uh.edu/cuin6345/ttu…

http://www.ericblomainmd.com/cleftlp1.gi…

All of these websites provide detailed pictures. Hope it helps

Phillip Said:

Why won't my baby take formula from the syringe after his cleft lip surgery?

We Answered:

You must talk with your physician. Our child had issues swallowing thicker medicines and formula. The reason for us was the tongue was very swollen. The tongue was clamped during the surgery and then it swells afterwards.

Talk to your doctor about it. we found cooler formula helped because it contracted the tongue allowing her to swallow. We also thinned out the medicine in pedialyte etc..so she could swallow.

Of course this was my case, you need to talk to your physician, there may be some other issue going on.

Good Luck!

Ethel Said:

Cleft lip plastic surgery vs. the real you.....give me answers to your thoughts for my senior english essay...

We Answered:

People who are born with cleft lip and palate do not have the face that they were meant to have. For whatever reason, the lip and nose did not come together correctly and that needs to be corrected for them to have a healthy life. At any point tho, before or after repair, they are "the real you". My husband and son are cleft affected and from birth they have been their real selves, despite a few surgical changes to appearance.

The changes to their appearance are not that much different from when you yourself were a baby to now. Think about it - you don't look like you did then, but it was always "the real you". Just for someone having cleft surgeries, their changes happen in the blink of an eye.

It's a good question tho. When my son had to have his lip and nose repair I cried the entire month before because I loved him so much the way he was. And while 6 years later I still miss his big smile, once I saw him in recovery after his surgery, he was still the same gorgeous and awesome child.

Vincent Said:

How do I tell my 3 year old daughter that she is having surgery on her cleft lip?

We Answered:

Congratulations for your daughter.

Now, I was very, very young when I had a series of surgeries to fix some defect that I had. I was 3, 4, and 6 for each operation. Here are a few things you can do for her

Make sure she is allowed to have her favorite doll in the hospital, allow her to visit the nursing staff at the hospital so she can get to know who is going to be around her. Strangers are scary. Get her a new little nightgown that the hospital will allow her to wear (buttons in the front)

Now, show her old pictures of herself not to bring up bad memories and then say she went to the hospital to fix it. Then tell her the hospital wants her back for one more fix to make it look so much better. Then explain that she will get to go to sleep in the hospital when the doctor tells her and when she wakes up it will be fixed. Tell her there will be bandaids for a while (term for bandages)

Take the days off that she will be in the hospital bring a blanket and camp out in her room.

I know I was scared and that was 27 years ago. I had a good nursing staff that became friends with me, it was mymother who came up with getting to know the nurses before I went in. Taking me to lunch at the hospital a few times and walking the childrens ward to say hi to the nurses.