A Cleft Palate can affect feeding and speech and can impact someone's hearing. For all the affects it can have, a Cleft Palate is unseen compared to a Cleft Lip. A Cleft Palate can affect the hard or soft palate and the uvula. The vagus nerve also runs into the palate too...! So much going on in that tiny space!
I had the opportunity again to chat to Mr O'Neill, a UK Cleft Surgeon, in 2020 to ask him as much as I could about Cleft Palates & surgery prep and procedure. I am grateful to Mr O'Neill for taking time out of his day to chat with me again.
This video is LONG and unedited - and terrible lighting for me! Haha! I hope the content wins over the visuals! I recommend watching the whole video, of course! But here are some rough time line guides through the discussion:
00:30 - 02:40 = What is the function of a palate?
02:41 - 06:29 = How common is a cleft palate?
06:30 - 08:39 = When is a cleft palate established?
08:40 - 15:29 = What defines an easier fix/veau classification/surgical techniques
15:30 - 16:49 = Embryology
16:50 - 19:29 = Prep work before surgery
19:30 - 22:29 = Weaning
22:30 - 23:39 = Surgery timelines
23:40 - 28:29 = How long does surgery take?
28:30 - 33:29 = Post surgery round up
33:30 - 37:29 = Post surgery medication
37:30 - 39:29 = Follow up after surgery
39:30 - 41:29 = Fistulas after surgery
41:30 - 44:14 = Seeing milk after surgery!
44:15 - 48:29 = 3 stages for more surgery
48:30 - 49:49 = Using imaging to detect issues
50:00 - 52:09 = What is best for your child?
52:10 - 53:59 = Palate lengthening
54:00 - 55:19 = Z plasty
55:20 - 56:19 = Templates don't work
56:20 - 1:00:00 = Most common re-repairs
1:01:00 - 1:07:00 = Revision statistics
1:08:00 - 1:18:00 = How covid has affected surgery
1:19:00 = 1:20:00 = Making a complaint
1:21:00 - 1:25:00 = Submucous cleft palate
1:26:00 - 1:27:00 = Uvula & Thanks!
This video will be perfect for those who are cleft affected and keen to learn what they may have been through, for parents, friends and family to learn about surgery procedures as well as Healthcare Professionals who work within the Cleft Community.
I would love to hear any feedback - and if you learnt anything you didn't know before!
You can find more of me on Instagram: @dontgetlippyuk
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