What questions should I ask my child's plastic surgeon about cleft lip and cleft palate repair?

Use this checklist as a guide during your child's cleft repair surgery consultation:

• Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
• Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
• Were you specially trained in the field of plastic surgery?
• Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure? If so, at which hospitals?
• Is the office-based surgical facility accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
• How many procedures of this type have you performed?
• Is my child a good candidate for this procedure?
• What will be expected to get the best results?
• Where and how will you perform my child's procedure?
• What shape, size, surface texturing, incision site and placement site are recommended for my child?
• How long of a recovery period can we expect, and what kind of help will my child need during my recovery?
• What are the risks and complications associated with this procedure?
• How are complications handled?
• What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the outcome of my child's cleft surgery?
• Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for each procedure and what are reasonable results?