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Restoring Beautiful Smiles: Cleft Lip and Palate Reconstruction
The power of a radiant smile can illuminate health, vitality, and friship. It's more than just an expression; it's a reflection of how we feel and a means by which we connect with others. Yet, imagine the emotional turmoil that comes when your ability to smile is disrupted due to facial abnormalities like a cleft lip or palate. This condition is not only distressing for the individuals affected but also for their families. It's an issue that affects approximately 1 in every 750 births annually in the United States.
We were absolutely heartbroken when our ultrasound revealed Kayley might be born with a cleft lip, shares Susan, a mother of two from Woodbury, Minnesota. As parents, we didn't know where to turn or which corrective surgeries to consider for her. Thankfully, their obstetrician-Gynecologist referred them to Dr. Christopher Tolan, an esteemed facial plastic surgeon recognized by St. Paul Children's Hospital and Clinics as a specialist in cleft lip and palate surgeries.
Understanding Cleft Lip and Palate
A diagnosis of a cleft lip or palate typically comes during pregnancy through ultrasound when the infant’s facial structures develop separately and then join. If these bones fl to fuse properly, it results in craniofacial abnormalities such as clefts.
A cleft lip can range from a small notch on the upper lip to a complete separation that exts into the nose or gums at where teeth emerge. This could affect one side of the face, both sides of the mouth, or even include issues with gum line development.
A cleft palate, on the other hand, involves gaps in either the soft or hard part of the roof of the mouththe areas exting from behind your tongue towards your throat and front towards teeth respectively.
Causes of Isolated Cleft Lip and Palate
The precise cause is unknown but it's often a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Dr. Tolan explns, Parents need to understand that it isn't their fault, emphasizing the complexity and multifactorial nature of this condition.
A Leader in Facial Plastic Surgery
Dr. Christopher Tolan, recognized as one of the Midwest’s top surgeons for cleft lip and palate deformities, shares his experience gned from medical missions with organizations like Love Without Boundaries LWB, Children's Surgery International CSI, and Operation Hope. He has performed hundreds of corrective surgeries on children in various capacities.
Strategic Approach to Treatment
Dr. Tolan outlines a progressive strategy for surgical interventions tlored to the child’s growth and development stages. Presurgical orthopedics, or nasal molding, is used during the infant's first few weeks for lip alignment improvement, which typically lasts about 12-20 weeks. The goal exts beyond physical repr; it encompasses enhancing the quality of life.
Caring Team Journey
Susie's entire family became an integral part of our journey with Dr. Tolan and his team, Susan comments. They were there every step of the way, through high points and low points, each small triumph. She recalls witnessing Kayley finally smile confidently for the first time after her cleft lip was fully repred.
Contact Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery
If you have further inquiries about Cleft Lip or Palate Reconstruction at Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery, schedule a consultation with Dr. Christopher Tolan by contacting us at 651 632-9700.
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