Complete unilateral cleft lip and palate operated on by means of the one-stage method - own experience.

The study presents the surgical protocol of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) treatment based on the one-stage method. It is exemplified by the treatment course of a patient suffering from UCLP. The method was worked out and implemented at the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw. Its main advantage is the early establishment of the anatomical structures of the naso-oral cave and the facial part of the skull, before the development of speech. The complete closure of each part of the cleft - the soft and hard palate and the lip before the end of the first year of life, enables the quick implementation of the next stages of treatment, such as alveolar osteoplasty, which facilitates both orthodontic treatment and speech therapy.