If your child has a cleft lip or cleft palate, the surgeries they need will depend their age and the severity of the cleft. The following is a general timeline of procedures, but keep in mind that your doctor will develop a personalized plan of care for your child that will minimize the number of operations and achieve the best aesthetic and functional results possible.

3 months old: Left lip repair and placement of a hard palate retainer

10 months old: Soft palate repair (back part of the palate)

10 months-3 years: Replacement of hard palate retainer, depending on child’s rate of growth

2-3 years: Hard palate repair (from part of palate) with possible bone grafting to palate and alveolus (gum line)

5-6 years: Minor lip or nasal revisions as needed

6-8 years: Bone grafting to alveolus if it was not performed at the time of hard palate repair

9-10 years: Upper jaw surgery if a large underbite is present