Comprehensive rehabilitation of a patient with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate: a clinical case report

Relevance. Among congenital maxillofacial malformations, cleft lip and palate (CLP) occupies a special place. The main challenges in the rehabilitation of these patients include altered anatomy, age-related progression of deformity, and scar tissue after previous surgical interventions, which adversely affect the outcomes of subsequent treatment. Failure to follow a staged rehabilitation algorithm, as well as inability to receive timely specialized care, may place many children at risk of social disadvantage.

Clinical Case Descriptiom. This article describes the comprehensive rehabilitation of a female patient with a congenital complete right-sided cleft lip, alveolar cleft, and cleft of the hard and soft palate. Treatment was provided by a multidisciplinary team including maxillofacial surgeons, an orthodontist, a prosthodontist, oral and maxillofacial radiologists, a speech therapist, and other specialists. The patient underwent staged reconstructive treatment including primary cheilorhinoplasty, palatoplasty, alveolar bone grafting of the maxilla, maxillary advancement using distraction osteogenesis devices, orthognathic surgery to restore the occlusal plane in relation to the interpupillary line, as well as long-term orthodontic treatment.

Conclusion. The rehabilitation of patients with cleft lip and palate remains an important multidisciplinary challenge because treatment begins in infancy and often continues into adulthood. Treatment planning should be individualized and based on the patient’s anatomy, medical and surgical history, and other clinical factors. A personalized, staged approach is therefore essential.

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