With the healthcare field constantly changing it is difficult to pinpoint the exact price of surgical procedures. However, it can be assumed that most surgeries will be expensive, whether you or your insurance company is paying the bulk of the fee. Birth defects surgery is no exception. These procedures can be just as costly as others.
Topamax, the popular migraine and epilepsy medication, may increase the risks of cleft lip and cleft palate birth defects. The potential harm to a newborn child may also be accompanied by a major hit to your wallet.
Birth Defect Surgery is Increasingly Costly
Healthcare Blue Book states that cleft lip surgery alone can cost an upwards of $1700. If your newborn baby suffers from a birth defect, such as cleft lip or cleft palate, that surgery costs on average more than $4000. These prices can vary depending on anesthesia fees and hospital fees that are not always included in the cost of the birth defect surgery. Other sources have the surgeries varying in price by several $1000 and the exact price of your child’s health will depend according to severity and location of the defect, as well as other external factors.
After learning of a child’s birth defect, parents will understandably be concerned about their little one’s health, providing the best outcomes, and of course, the financial aspect of their health. Some insurance providers include birth defects surgery, but your insurance coverage will determine your medical fees and payment processes. There are several organizations that financially assist families of those with cleft lips or palates. One such organization, Smile Train, helps families who are in poverty or cannot afford the healthcare expenses of a cleft lip or palate.
Your doctor can provide more resources when it comes to the financial dimension of the procedure. Your individual situation is unique and may vary depending on other factors.
Birth Defects Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your child was recently born with a birth defect and you believe it may be attributed to your use of Topamax during pregnancy, you probably have a long list of questions. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
If you believe that your child’s cleft lip/cleft palate may have been affected by your use of the Topamax drug, you probably have questions about what resources and remedies are available to you and what they will cost. Children who are born with a cleft lip/palate have a number of difficulties that will confront them in their lives. However, it is surgically possible to begin remedying the issue within the first two to three months after birth. In many cases, when surgery is undertaken, there can be a full and complete recovery. 
If your baby is born with a birth defect, it is natural to be confused and scared. Some birth defects we have control over, and others happen naturally. Cleft palate birth defects are those that can be caused internally or externally. It has been recently discovered that the drug Topamax, an anti-convulsant used to treat seizures and migraines, can cause 
Children born with cleft lips or cleft palates often face many challenges while growing up. Development is changed drastically, and learning to eat and speak becomes harder than ever. While surgeries are indeed available to correct craniofacial birth defects, these surgeries can be overwhelmingly expensive for some families, leaving parents and child forced to cope with these oral malformations. 
The foundation operates the CLEFTLINE, a toll free 800 number that provides information to callers about facial clefts and other oral malformations. Callers will also be provided with information regarding cleft palate support groups in their regions. 
SmileTrain is a charity that provides oral cleft repair surgery for only $250 to poor families. They do this through funding from benefactors, and through donations from civilians like you and I. In addition to providing parents with the opportunity to afford the procedure, SmileTrain also trains doctors in over 75 countries to perform craniofacial surgeries on children. 
Topamax is associated with a few side effects and risks, some more dangerous than others. The most common side effect associated with the drug is numbness and tingling (parasthesia) in arms and legs. Other side effects include fatigue, change in tastes, weight loss, difficulty focusing, short term/non-severe loss of memory, nausea, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. No side effects seem to be long-term or life threatening. 
An infant’s face and skull form within the womb during the first trimester. Normally, the tissues that make up the hard palate (roof of the mouth) and the lip fuse together. When they do not, a hole or opening forms. This hole/opening is known as a cleft. 
Topamax was prescribed to millions of people who were excited about this “medical break through”. Unbeknownst to those taking the medication, Topamax has been found to increase the occurrence of birth defects in expectant mothers who take it. Five years after its release, in March 2011, the FDA forced Topamax to issue a warning about the correlation between their drug and birth defects. Five years of availability on the market means that countless expectant mothers have taken this pill, hoping to no longer suffer from epilepsy and seizures. The FDA’s website has confirmed that taking Topamax will increase fetal risk of birth defects, such as cleft lip or palate. The severity of this side effect must be taken into consideration when prescribing medication to expecting mothers. If you take Topamax and suspect that you could be pregnant, you should seek a medical professional to receive an expert opinion on the matter. There are alternative medications available that have not shown side effects of birth defects which are far safer to take during pregnancy.
Diagnostic screenings will be needed in order to avoid reactions from the medications that will be given to your new baby for the surgery. The first phase of the surgery is the anesthesia. The anesthesia will be administered to your baby to put him or her in a “sleep like coma” to avoid pain. The sedation can be given generally or intravenously, and will be chosen depending on your doctor’s recommendations. Next, an incision will be made on either side of the cleft. This flap will then be sewn together to close the cleft. If the incision is successful the surgery is complete and your baby will wake up when the sedation wears off. Once your child is awake, it is important to closely follow the surgeon’s suggestions on caring for the wound. Certain medications may be taken orally or applied directly to the incision to aid in preventing infection and strengthening the new formation. There will be specific feeding restrictions for your child which your doctor will suggest for you. Following surgery, you may find your baby restrained to keep him or her from touching the surgical site until it heals. This surgery is the first of the process to correct clefts, and depending on the outcome of this surgery and your child’s individual case, he or she may need to undergo follow up procedures for health or cosmetic reasons.
When a cleft does not affect the mouth’s palate structure it is referred to as cleft lip. Cleft lips can occur on one or both sides of the lip which are generally referred to as unilateral or bilateral clefts. The first category of cleft lip is known as an incomplete cleft. An incomplete, or partial, cleft lip occurs at the top of the lip. The cleft appears as a small gap or indentation that does not reach the nose.