Prospectives in cleft lip and palate repair.

A recent focus on fetal surgery has raised the possibility of fetal cleft lip and palate repairs. Because of the fetus's marked plasticity, fetal repairs may have results that more closely approximate normality. Furthermore, the impact on cost management could be dramatic with a decreased need for extensive postoperative care, orthodontia, and speech therapy. This article considers the future prospects of intrauterine cleft lip repair as the next generation of surgical advances.