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Severe Postoperative Hemorrhage following Primary Cheiloplasty in an Adult Patient: A case report

Jezmhyn Marie R Paelmo

Bleeding that requires re-operative hemostasis is a rare but serious complication after cheiloplasty. The goal of this paper is to present a case of an early postoperative bleeding from primary cheiloplasty in an adult patient and its management. This is a case of a 21-year old, male with a unilateral complete cleft lip and palate, with no known co-morbidities, who underwent primary cheiloplasty and rapid expanding hematoma on the upper lip on first postoperative day. The patient was brought back to the operating room for exploration and control of bleeders after conservative management was unable to control bleeding. There are several factors that may predispose to postoperative bleeding such as pre-operative planning, timing of surgery, surgical technique, surgeon’s experience, post-operative care and monitoring. Prompt recognition of early signs of bleeding as well as timing and decision to reoperate is crucial for the final functional and aesthetic outcome for the patien