Primary Repair of Cleft Lip and Nose in the Neonatal Period

Abstract Facial cleft malformations belong to the most common problems of the congenital facial anomalies. At the Clinic of Plastic, Aestetic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Faculty Hospital in Banská Bystrica we have been performing primary cleft lip repairs during the first week of life of a newborn since 1995. During this life period the fetal healing still persists. Modern anesthetic techniques have considerably reduced respiratory complications after the lip closure. The adequate postoperative sedation together with monitoring of the pacient remarkably reduces the occurrence of wound dehiscence. The advantages of the neonatal cleft lip repair are the scarless healing, no negative effect on the growth of the middle thirt of the face, as well as the pschychosocial effect on the family and the fact that the ortodontic aparat has not been needed.