Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia)
Tongue-tie occurs when the fibrous membrane - the lingual frenulum - that goes from the base of the tongue to the tip is too short. This can can make it difficult for babies to breast-feed, or can sometimes later impede correct articulation of words.
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If breast-feeding is made difficult, tongue-tie needs to be operated before the baby is 3 months old. Otherwise, the recommendation is to operate between 2 and 3 years old, as the lingual frenulum may lengthen sufficiently as the child grows, thereby negating the need for surgery
Tongue-tie surgery
The surgery to correct tongue-tie is called a frenectomy (incision of the frenulum) and requires light general anaesthetic. It is a simple procedure that lasts just a few minutes and, in some cases, does not require stitches (or stitches disintegrate after a few days and do not need to be removed).
Post-surgery care
A young baby feels no discomfort when feeding, but older children may feel as if they have something stuck in their mouths during the first few hours following the procedure, which can bother them greatly (the doctor will prescribe analgesics in this case).
In exceptional cases, there may be some bleeding, but which should stop spontaneously. You should consult a doctor if bleeding continues despite applying pressure with gauze.
Post-surgery results
An immediate improvement to tongue mobility, doing away with feeding problems and later on, making correct pronunciation easier.
General surgery info...
Parents may worry about the fact that these operations are often carried out under general anaesthetic. Medical staff will explain anaesthesia-related mortality risks during the pre-surgery consultation a few days before the operation and you will be told how extremely rare these risks are (less than 1 in every 100,000).
For any surgery, the child must not have eaten during the 6 hours before the operation and you need to be available to continue his or her post-surgery treatment. You will also need to be aware of any post-surgery symptoms that would warrant an immediate return to the emergency ward.
Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 16.02.2011
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