For patients in South Africa
Cleft lip and palate surgery in Turkey from South Africa: what to know
Cleft lip and palate surgery is reconstructive surgery. It repairs a cleft of the lip, the palate or both, to improve appearance, speech, feeding and how the mouth works. Cleft care often continues over years, so treatment abroad has to fit into a longer plan. This page sets out the facts for South African patients and families.
In short: Surgery may involve repair of the lip, the palate, or revision of an earlier repair, and is planned around the patient’s age, anatomy and the type of cleft. Most operations take two to four hours. Most patients stay in Turkey for five to seven days. Some people need further treatment later, such as speech therapy, orthodontics or more surgery.
Last updated: October 2026
What the surgery involves
The surgeon reconstructs the affected tissues of the lip, the palate or both, to restore a more normal structure. Depending on the case, this may be a first repair, a palate repair, or revision surgery to improve the result of an earlier operation. Most procedures take between two and four hours; more extensive reconstruction can take longer. The cleft lip and palate surgery page has more detail.
Who it is for
- Children and adults born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate or both
- Adults who never had a repair
- Adults who want to improve function or appearance after previous cleft surgery
Treatment of children is planned with the parents and the specialist team. If a child is already under a cleft team in South Africa, discuss any plan for treatment abroad with that team first, and send us their records, so that surgery in Turkey fits the child’s overall treatment and follow-up. The surgeon decides whether surgery is appropriate and when.
How long to stay, and the flight home
Direct flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Istanbul take around ten hours, with a short connection to İzmir, and each traveller needs an e-Visa. On arrival there are health checks, blood tests and a face-to-face meeting with the surgeon. After surgery, patients recover at Mandarin Grove, the recovery retreat near İzmir.
For the first days a soft or liquid diet is usually advised while the repair begins to heal. Most patients are able to fly home after five to seven days, depending on the extent of surgery and the surgeon’s assessment. Book a return ticket you can change.
Recovery and long-term care at home
Swelling settles over the following weeks, and speech, eating and comfort gradually improve. Most patients return to normal routines within one to two weeks, though strenuous activity waits until the surgeon clears it. Tissues continue to mature, and scars fade, over three to twelve months.
Depending on the cleft and the stage of treatment, later care may include speech therapy, orthodontic treatment, bone grafting, revision surgery or rhinoplasty. Much of this happens at home, so take full operation notes back with you for your doctor, dentist and speech therapist. Remote follow-up with the surgical team continues by photograph, message and video call; İzmir is one hour ahead of South Africa.
Risks
Possible risks include swelling, bruising, slow wound healing, scarring, infection, bleeding, a fistula (a small opening that persists in the palate), and speech or feeding difficulties. More rarely, further corrective surgery is needed. Medical complications, and revisions that become clinically necessary as a result of treatment, within one year are covered by our treatment guarantee; planned later stages of cleft care are separate treatment. Information about who carries out treatment is on our clinic facts page, and how problems are handled is on our complaints page. Other facial procedures are in the face surgery guide for South African patients.
What we will not do
We will not confirm a plan before the surgeon has reviewed the records and photographs, and we will not promise a particular result for speech or appearance. We will not plan treatment for a child without the parents’ full involvement, and we will not encourage anyone to step away from an existing cleft team’s long-term plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can adults have cleft lip and palate surgery?
Yes. Adults who never had a repair, or who want to improve the result of earlier surgery, may be candidates for reconstructive or revision surgery. The surgeon recommends a plan based on anatomy and goals.
How is treatment for children planned?
Treatment of children is planned with the parents and the specialist team. If the child already has a cleft team at home, discuss the plan with them first and share their records with us.
How long do I need to stay in Turkey?
Most patients stay five to seven days, allowing time for surgery, recovery and follow-up checks before the flight home.
Will the surgery improve speech and eating?
For many patients, cleft palate repair improves speech, swallowing and eating. Some also need speech therapy or further procedures as part of long-term treatment.
Is more than one operation ever needed?
In some cases, yes. Depending on the cleft and the stage of treatment, revision surgery, bone grafting, rhinoplasty or orthodontic treatment may be recommended later.
Start with a free online consultation. Planning the trip? Read the guide for South African patients and the e-Visa guide.