Alveolar bone graft Hip bone donor site Bone graft to gum line (1338)

Key points below


Hip bone donor site, Bone graft to gum line

What is an alveolar bone graft?

An alveolar bone graft is an operation for a child who was born with both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. The graft is done to place bone to the upper jaw bone (alveolus) in the area of any clefts. This will help let the permanent teeth to come through the alveolus (erupt). It also helps to close the hole between your child’s mouth and nose.

How is it done?

A small amount of bone is taken from your child’s hip. The bone is removed from inside the hip, so the overall shape of the hip is not changed. The bone is shaped and then placed into the cleft.

The surgery takes about 2 to 3 hours. There will be stitches in the gums where the bone has been placed. There will be an incision with a small bandage on the hip.

What happens after the surgery?

After surgery, your child:

Diet:

Activity:

Follow up:

Your child will need an appointment in the clinic 5 to10 days after surgery. They will also need many appointments in the weeks after surgery. This is important so the doctor can make sure your child is healing properly.

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child:

  • Has severe pain that does not go away.
  • Has a lot of bleeding from the nose or mouth.
  • Has vomiting that will not stop.
  • Has a fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or higher.
  • Is not drinking enough fluids.
  • Has a bad mouth odor.
  • Spits out small bone chips.
  • Has bone chips that can be seen in the area where the surgery was done.
  • Has special health care needs that were not covered by this information.