ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the feasibility, merit and shortcoming of simultaneously repairing cleft lip and palate during the infancy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>468 infants with cleft lip and palate repaired simultaneously in our department from 1995 to 2004 were reviewed retrospectively, as well as the cases repaired three years before were followed up and evaluated in pronunciation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>468 infants with cleft lip and palate were effectively treated simultaneously, associated with 173 had complications and 1 died after operation. 94 cases appeared dyspnea (20.1%), 74 cases had ruptured incision in palate including 63 cases in uvula, 2 cases infected in clip incision, 1 case got paralytic brain for lack of oxygen during the anesthesia, 2 cases ran malignant high fever including 1 dying of it, 1 case bled excessively after iodoform gauze pulled out. Among the 168 cases followed up relative to 278 who had treated three years before, 115 cases got clear pronunciation, 48 cases were next and 5 cases' pronunciation were unclear.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Repairing cleft lip and palate simultaneously during the infancy has high rates of dyspnea and ruptured incision in uvula, though which contributes to clear pronunciation and has other merits, and perfect anesthesia is important to success in operation.</p>