Pediatric Anesthesia for Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft lip and palate are the most common craniofacial deformities in the United States of America and México. Their aesthetic and functional implications influence the life style of the patient: social relationships, school and working performances, self-esteem and health. Surgical repair of the cleft lip is around the third to sixth month of age and the palate repair is when the patient is between six and eighteen months old. There are other surgical repairs during childhood and ideally all of them should be performed by an experienced surgeon teaming up with a pediatric anesthesiologist following the gold standards in cleft care, in a setting where the safety of the patient is paramount.