Cleft Palate Causes Nasal Deformity
Mr. Tang and his son from Jiande, Zhejiang, both have congenital cleft lip and palate. After undergoing initial corrective surgery, both were left with severe nasal deformities. With two members of the family of three affected, they constantly faced the stares of others.On September 21, Mr. Tang's son finally underwent nasal deformity correction surgery.
Father and Son Both Born with Cleft Lip and Palate
Born in 1967, Mr. Tang had a cleft lip and palate. After undergoing corrective surgery, he was left with a severely crooked nose. Due to his appearance, he didn't marry until his late thirties.In 1996, their beloved son was born—unfortunately, also with congenital cleft lip and palate. Due to financial constraints, they had him undergo a basic local repair surgery, which similarly resulted in a crooked nose. As the child grew, the nasal deformity worsened, subjecting him to relentless discrimination in the village and at school. The taunts deeply wounded his young heart.With no other options, the couple took their son to the media for help.
Incomplete Surgery Causes Nasal Deformity
Soon, a team of medical experts consulted on Little Tang's case, diagnosing a nasal deformity resulting from an incomplete first-stage cleft lip and palate repair. According to the surgeons, cleft lip and palate is a complex condition, with severe cases requiring five to six surgeries for full correction.Cleft lip repair can be performed at three months postnatal, with cleft palate repair beginning after age one. Some cases require bone grafting from the thigh to fill alveolar clefts. However, due to financial constraints and lack of medical knowledge, many patients like Mr. Tang and his son only undergo the initial surgery, leaving them with a crooked nose as a sequela.
He explained that the initial repair sutured the nasolabial groove area. As the body grows, this sutured scar tissue fails to expand proportionally, pulling on the nose over time and causing it to become crooked. "The child is still growing. Without timely corrective surgery, the impact will worsen with age."
The doctor indicated that within about two weeks after the surgery, Mr. Tang's son would have a dignified, straight nose like anyone else's.