Palatoplasty is a surgical procedure used to correct or reconstruct the

palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...

in a person with a

cleft palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

. The basic goals of the procedure are to close the abnormal opening between the nose and mouth, to help the patient develop normal speech, and to aid in swallowing, breathing and normal development of associated structures in the mouth. Any person with any degree of a cleft palate is a candidate for palatoplasty. The procedure is usually performed on infants. The ideal age for the patient is between six and twelve months of age. If the surgery is carried out much beyond three years of age, speech development may not be optimal. 80% of the time, development of the palate and speech is normal after only one procedure.Pediatric ENT West central Florida

References

{{Operations and other procedures on the nose, mouth, and pharynx Palate surgery

See also

References