Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate in Miami, FL

If you are a parent in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or South Florida seeking excellent results from reconstructive surgery to repair your child’s cleft lip or cleft palate, then a visit to the friendly office of Adam J. Rubinstein, M.D., F.A.C.S., will be the first step in addressing a curable problem, as these conditions can sometimes cause future difficulties with eating and breastfeeding for infants while leaving older children more vulnerable to colds, ear infections, speech problems, and cavities.

What is Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate?

The process of selecting a surgeon to repair either a cleft lip or a cleft palate is not an easy one, nevertheless, it would behoove you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rubinstein at his office in Aventura. Having a special sensitivity to children and their unique needs above and beyond the surgical component of a successful procedure is part and parcel of what everyone in Dr. Rubinstein’s practice is dedicated to, in addition to seeing you and your child through the corrective surgery and recovery processes.

Who Can Benefit From Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate Repair?

The cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects of the lip and the roof of the mouth, respectively. If your child was born with either a cleft lip or a cleft palate, typically repair of a cleft lip can be performed on infants, as young as even six weeks, whilst the earliest age for a cleft palate repair begins at around nine months of age. If such deformities have persisted into adulthood, surgery performed by Dr. Rubinstein may yet provide benefits as well.

What is the Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate Procedure Like?

Technological and surgical innovations have led to an expanding array of treatment options which Dr. Rubinstein can guide you through, always with your child’s comfort before, during and after surgery being of paramount importance. C left lip or cleft palate repair surgery procedures require general anesthesia, and often just one surgery to fully correct the problem, although in a minority of cases Dr. Rubinstein may recommend a multi-stage surgical process with the stipulation that a second surgery not be scheduled until six months after the previous surgery.

What Can I Expect During Recovery?

Increasingly children are able to be discharged the day of surgery, although sometimes Dr. Rubinstein recommends an overnight stay. The full recovery process can take about a month, and a safe pain medication and antibiotics will be prescribed. You will be given instructions on how to care for and wash and also feed your child during this healing period. Dr. Rubinstein will monitor your child’s progress and during follow-up visits he will give you detailed ideas about what to expect in the upcoming recovery stage. In addition, Dr. Rubinstein may recommend that you visit an orthodontist to make sure your child’s teeth are aligned, and sometimes children have subsequent surgeries in their teens as a later stage procedure to remove cleft lip or cleft palate scars.

Will Insurance Cover Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate Reconstructive Surgery?

Most health insurance policies pay for reconstructive surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate repair procedures, as it is considered medically necessary. Of course, plans differ in their coverage, check with your insurance provider to learn what sort of coverage is available to you. If you aren’t covered by insurance, Dr. Rubinstein offers financing options in such cases so that his patients can make convenient monthly payments for their treatment. If you are a parent in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or South Florida and your child needs reconstructive surgery for either cleft lip or cleft palate, then please contact Dr. Rubinstein today as you will benefit from his skillful surgical expertise as well as the patient-friendly atmosphere in his Aventura office.