Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Surgery

Overview

When a child’s lip does not join together properly during embryotic development, surgical repair can correct the defect and improves the child’s appearance. Surgical repair can also help prevent future problems with breathing, speaking, and eating. Cleft lip and/or cleft palate occurs in approximately 1 out of every 700 births, and plastic surgeons at Shriners Hospital are here to provide expert care. 

Make an appointment

Please call our Referral Center to schedule an appointment, call (916) 453-2191 or via email at ncal.info@shrinenet.org. A Referral Coordinator will partner with you to gather the necessary information to allow our physician leadership to evaluate the best path for your child.

Medical Concentration

Cleft Lip Repair
Cleft Palate Repair

The Medical Team

Hugh Vu, M.D., MPH
Plastic Surgeon

Craig Senders, M.D.
Otorhinolaryngology Surgeon

Victoria F. Owens, R.N., MSN, NP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Research

Scientific researchers in the Institute of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine (IPRM) at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California are investigating the genetic causes of cleft lip, cleft palate and brain malformations. Investigations have uncovered a genetic link to cleft lip and cleft palate in mice, which may lead to improved genetic testing of families at risk of having children with these disorders.

Doctor

Craig W. Senders, M.D.

Otorhinolaryngology Surgeon

Craig W. Senders, M.D., is an Otorhinolaryngology Surgeon at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California.

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Full Biography

Craig W. Senders, M.D., is an Otohinolaryngology Surgeon at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California. He is also Director of the Cleft and Craniofacial Team and Chair of the Continuous Quality Improvement for the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the University of California, Davis Medical Center.