Anaesthesia for repair of cleft lip and palate.

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common craniofacial anomalies. The surgery is not performed usually until the baby is three months of age. The anaesthesia technique is dependent on the difficulty of the airway. The anaesthetic practitioner therefore requires knowledge of the paediatric airway and of this particular anomaly and skill in the thorough preparation of the equipment used for intubating a baby for this procedure.