Expertise
In order for the treatment to work, a large team of specialists must also be able to work closely together: Oral- and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, orthodontists, anaesthetists, ENT doctors, dentists, speech therapists, audiologists and psychologists. The high standards of medical expertise and experience necessary make continuous knowledge transfer essential, which our Foundation is able to encourage on a regular basis.
It is essential that cleft centres can be established locally. Short-term doctor's postings may be well-intended, but are not enough here as they cannot provide ongoing follow-up care, which is sometimes needed over many years. All operations performed in our cleft centres meet internationally recognised standards. In the first days of the life of the cleft patient, a dental plate is applied to make feeding easier. The operation to close the cleft lip is performed as soon as the child has reached a minimum weight at around three to six months.
In more complex cases, such as bilateral cleft lip and palate, other operations will be needed in subsequent years in order to bring about a “normal appearance”. Most cleft children require orthodontic supervision up to the age of 18.