The cleft lip and cleft palate, also known as harelip is a congenital facial deformity that is found within the first 8 weeks during pregnancy. It is a symptom where the skin texture of the roof of mouth and the lips are not properly met and so the two are chapped or gapped.s

Up to now, the cause of the cleft lip and cleft palate is not known but in modern medicine, it is conjectured to be taken place after the hereditary reasons, drug addiction at early stages of pregnancy, or deficiency of folic acid or vitamin C. The ministry of Food and Drug Safety has made an announcement that taking dose of ‘topiramate’, which is used antiepileptic agents at pregnancy , can increase the occurrence risk factor of the cleft lip and cleft palate.

With in the country, the cause of the cleft lip and cleft palate is found every 1.5 new born babies of approximately 650-1000. The cleft lip can be cured with plastic surgery and operations. The treatment for harelip consists of the first operation where the mouth and the roof of the mouth are treated to function as normal and the second operation where the parts that have been transformed through the patient’s growth are corrected.

The cleft lip and cleft palate, if not treated at the right time, can cause disturbance of lactation, speech disorder, and lack of confidence in appearance and therefore the operation at the right time is important above all. Missing the operation time can also lead to the child’s growth and the deformation of the roof of mouth, teeth, or the upper jaw, which can result in the whole face crooked.

In normal cases, the first operation is performed at 2-3 months after birth and the second operation between 6-18 years considering the growth status and the age of the patient. Especially, for women, the secondary operation is recommended at 14, and for men, at 16, because the exquisite restoration of the cleft lip using the patient’s own tissue is possible at this stage.

For such operation for the cleft lip and cleft palate, not only the ideal period of treatment but it is also important to choose a cleft lip and cleft palate specialized hospital with experience of surgery.

It has been said that the operation, namely the cleft lip and cleft palate operation or the operation for harelips, is a major surgery with the facial bone and it accompanies a huge risk of recurrence due to the character of the abnormal tissues that want to go back in place. Depending on the condition of the patient, time to time orthodontics, bimaxillary operation, or rhinosurgery may be needed.

Woo-Shik Choi, MD of MVP Plastic Surgery (MOST VALUABLE PLASTIC SURGERY) advices “Since the operation for the cleft lip and cleft palate demands the constant therapy over a long term, it is extremely important to pick a specialized hospital and specialized surgeon with anatomical knowledge in muscles, frames, and cartilages and with experience of surgery and experience of clinical demonstration.