Cleft lip & Palate Repair in Iran
Get your cleft lip and cleft palate repaired in Iran with our all-expense tours and start to live a life with renewed confidence.
Congenital defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate sometimes happen and there is little one can do to prevent them. If you are born with a cleft lip and palate, or you have a child with this condition, you surely want to find the best treatment option. Not all plastic surgeons are enough trained for cleft repair and not all countries offer affordable treatment services. At AriaMedTour, we help you get an effective cleft lip/palate repair by the best Iranian plastic surgeons at the most decent prices – and we do all the arrangements from start to finish.
Hear about our patients’ experiences in Iran: They have so much to share.
Watch these stories from different patients around the world to see why people choose Iran for their cosmetic surgeries and how AriaMedTour facilitates their medical trip to Iran.
A medical trip documentary:
Crossing borders for a unique beauty adventure
Having Experienced a Failed Plastic Surgery,
Pakistani Girl Chooses Iran for a Perfect Revision
Beauty Redefined: A Cosmetic Surgery
Journey to Iran – AriaMedTour Documentary
A Smooth Medical Trip to Iran
for an Amazing Transformation
Swiss Patient Trusts Iran for
His Cosmetic Surgery Among All Destinations
Australian Lady Saves Money Having
Successful Plastic Surgeries in Iran
Croatian Girl’s Careful Research Led Her
to Iran for an Amazing Plastic Surgery
A Medical Trip to Iran Is Worth It as You Enjoy
Both Great Surgery Results and Low Prices
Now, let’s have a look at the photos
of our patients in Iran!
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Cleft Lip & Cleft Palate Repair in Iran: All You Need to Know
Oral clefting including lip and palate clefts is a prevalent congenital deformity in newborns. It shall be addressed within the first year after the baby is born. Otherwise, it will interfere with the speaking ability of the children and their social life will be affected either.
The affected individuals will later need to undergo secondary surgery. This is because the person’s lip appearance is not well enhanced through the initial surgery.
The rate of prevalence of this condition in Iran is high, almost as high as it is among American and European countries, based on various studies. As the medical tourism hub of the middle east, the country has excelled in offering affordable yet effective cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgery in recent years.
To see whether this country is a suitable option for you to get your cleft lip and palate surgery done in, follow this clue as we are going to give you some good reasons and information in this respect. But before anything else, let us learn more about the treatment itself.
What Is Cleft Lip/Palate?
Cleft lip and palate, also known as orofacial clefts, refer to a condition in which an opening forms in the upper lip or palate. The opening may extend to reach the nose (complete cleft lip). The infant may have either a cleft lip or cleft palate or may be born with both. The cleft may only be on one side of the lip (unilateral) or on both sides of the lip (bilateral).
Cleft lip forms between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy. It happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth, and this causes a split or opening in the upper lip.
Cleft palate happens between the sixth and ninth weeks of pregnancy. It happens if the tissue that makes up the mouth does not join together completely. It is noted that a high number of patients with a cleft palate may suffer from cardiac, limb, or other system defects.
A cleft can be quite visible, and it usually leads to behavioral and social problems. It also causes a multitude of medical problems, including speech production, eating, breathing, hearing loss, maxillofacial growth, and dentition.
What Is Cleft Lip/Palate Repair?
There are two surgical treatments for the correction of the clefts: cleft lip repair or cheiloplasty and cleft palate repair or palatoplasty.
In both surgeries, the opening in your upper lip or roof of your mouth is closed to restore the function and appearance of your lip and palate.
Why Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Repair in Iran?
Not a developed country in many respects, Iran may not seem a great place, in the first place, to get your cleft lip/palate fixed in. That’s why we dedicated this section to consider the advantages you would gain by choosing this country as your surgery destination.
First, Effective Cleft Lip/Palate Surgery
The number of plastic surgeries including cleft lip and palate repair in Iran is high as the beauty craze has made its way through the young population. This has contributed to increasing the quality of such surgeries in the country.
The country has achieved significant progress in treating oral clefts in recent decades. If it hadn’t been for the great expertise of the Iranian surgeons, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible.
Now, the country’s considered to be a “model” for other countries in cleft plasty, said Professor Brian Sommerlad, who has traveled to Iran and many other countries to work with local surgeons practicing in this field. (Dr. Sommerlad is a reputable plastic surgeon and specialist in London who has devoted his life to helping other communities treat lip and palate clefts, establishing a charity to support the research activities in this area as well as the cleft teams in less-developed countries.)
Second, Guaranteed Services
As the patients go abroad for treatment with the help of a medical tourism facilitator, they can easily receive guaranteed healthcare. This is because these companies are committed to accreditation, quality assurance, and transparency of pricing and results.
Third, Affordable Trip and Treatment
As the out-of-pocket expenses of medical/cosmetic surgeries continue to rise, people are pursuing cross-border healthcare to save money. In Iran, the cost of treatment of any kind is far less than many other places. One can easily save up to 80% while getting their treatment in a top-rated private hospital/medical center.
Fourth, Treatment without Delay
You can get your surgery done in this country without it being postponed to a later time, as there is no waiting list involved.
Cost of Cleft Lip Repair/Cleft Palate Repair in Iran
The cost of cleft surgery depends on the patient’s condition i.e. defect severity. Usually, for a cleft lip repair in Iran, you would be charged from around $2,000 to $4,000. Cleft palate surgery in Iran would cost around $3,000 to $4,000. This is while the same procedures cost from $5,000 to $20,000 and more in western countries.
How Is Cleft Repair Performed in Iran?
Cleft repair surgery can be complicated depending on the patient’s condition. The surgery may be done early in life or/and in adulthood. Depending on the extent of the repair needed, a cleft may require one, two or more surgeries, the first one being performed when the baby is 3-12 months old.
Cleft Lip Repair
A cleft lip is the most common defect among patients with oral clefts. The cleft lip should be repaired most ideally within the 3rd – 6th month of life. However, it may need one or two surgeries later.
The surgery starts with general anesthesia administration. The surgeon makes delicate incisions on the sides of the opening area. The remained tissue and muscle are pulled down. The skin is then stitched so that the cleft is closed.
Cleft Palate Repair
A cleft palate should be corrected most ideally within the 12th-14th month of life. There are two ways for cleft palate treatment:
- Plastic surgery, and
- Covering the cleft palate by a palatal obturator (a prosthetic device made to fit the roof of the mouth covering the gap).
Through the plastic surgery, the surgeon connects the muscles of the soft palate and rearranges the tissues to close the cleft, creating a palate that works well for speech.
The individuals with a cleft palate may also need a bone graft at the age of 8 to fill the upper gum.
The palate repair surgery can last from 1 to 2 hours. If the patient suffers from both lip and palate clefting, the procedure will last longer.
Revision Surgery
Revision surgery refers to the second/third procedures which may be required during adulthood.
For a repaired lip, the procedure is called lip revision or revision cheiloplasty. It aims at improving the appearance of the repaired lip and nose. It may be done when the child is 5 to 8 years old or during adulthood.
For a repaired palate, the revision surgery can be done to serve various purposes. They include eliminating the speech problems (through z-plasty or pharyngeal flap), correcting jaws, or providing enough bone for your teeth (through bone graft).
Furthermore, rhinoplasty or scar revision surgery can be done if the patient’s nose shape needs improvement or there are scar marks left from the previous surgeries.
Recovery after Cleft Repair Surgery
Depending on the procedure, the recovery takes from 1 to 2 weeks. The baby or the adult patient may expect to see bruises, redness, and light bleeding during this time. Pain and discomfort are also normal.
In general, the stitches are absorbable and the patients are not required to visit their doctor to remove them. A bandage may be put on the surgical area for a few days following the operation.
During recovery, the patient should follow the doctor’s instruction. The surgical site must be kept clean. Also, your child is not allowed to put their fingers or hard objects in their mouth for a few weeks if they undergo a palate repair surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cleft Surgery
Does cleft lip surgery leave scars?
The surgery usually leaves a scar on above the lip and under the nose. The scarring will blend in with the texture of the skin and it will hide in the natural contours of the area above the lips.
When is the best time to fix clefts?
The cleft repair shall be done early in life, the sooner the better.
What causes lip/palate clefts?
The definite reasons causing orofacial clefts are not yet discovered. Most researchers have agreed that this defect is inherited from parents or is caused due to environmental factors. In mothers, smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, and diabetes may all contribute to forming this abnormality in their infants. Lack of certain substances like folic acid has also been proved to increase the risk of common birth defects like clefting.
Can cleft palate/lip be detected during pregnancy?
To diagnose a cleft palate/lip, mothers should take certain ultrasound test. Otherwise, it will not be detected until childbirth.
How do orofacial clefts affect speech?
The speaking ability of children with palate clefting is not well developed. They usually sound nasal when talking.
Is cleft palate surgery covered by the insurance?
As a congenital abnormality, the expenses of cleft palate repair are covered by the insurance. However, further surgeries which are done with aesthetic purposes may not be covered.
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