Cleft Lip & Palate Clinic

The multidisciplinary cleft team includes a clinic coordinator, cleft surgeons (plastic surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeon), orthodontists, speech-language pathologist, otolaryngologists (ENTs), pediatricians, pediatric dentist, audiologists, and dental hygienists. The multidisciplinary clinic is held at regular intervals throughout the year at the Interior Health Community Health & Services Centre in Kelowna. Care coordination and certain specialty services are available at any time, as needed.

• This service is available for children and youth from birth to age 19 who live in the Interior region of British Columbia
• Services are covered by the Medical Services Plan
• Referrals can be made to the clinic from the time that a cleft lip/palate is diagnosed during pre-natal ultrasound, upon birth or any time thereafter until the age of 19. Referrals are also accepted for patients transferring their care to the Interior from another cleft clinic. More information about how to refer can be found below.

Upon receipt of a referral, the clinic coordinator will contact the parent/s to provide information about the clinic and to answer any questions they have. The coordinator ensures that the parent/s are connected to the appropriate surgeons and other providers they may need after birth. The clinic coordinator is available to answer any questions and assist with any issues that may arise by coordinating necessary services before the age of 18 months. These services are typically the cleft repair surgeries, support of a pediatrician in your community, audiology and in some cases, advice regarding feeding issues.

Families are invited to visit with our multidisciplinary cleft lip and palate team for the first time when their child is approximately 18 months of age. These clinic appointments take place over the course of a morning in April or October, and families will be seen by the clinic coordinator, cleft surgeons, an orthodontist, a speech-language pathologist, an otolaryngologist (ENT), a pediatrician, a pediatric dentist, an audiologist, and a dental hygienist. Please see the FAQ section for additional details.