Feeding After Tongue Tie Release Operation

Eating and Drinking After The Tongue Operation


Feeding After Tongue Tie Release Operation
Above is a sublingual image of the patient who underwent lingual frenectomy at the age of 3 years.

If the procedure is performed under local anesthesia after tongue tie surgery, the patient may start eating and drinking water within half an hour. Postnatal breastfeeding in newborn infants may be beneficial by causing the wound site to come into contact with breast milk.

When tongue tie release surgery is performed in hospital conditions, subcutaneous incision area can be sutured with absorbable stitches. The duration of the procedure is approximately 10 minutes and after the procedure it is seen that the patient can easily raise his tongue before the lower lip. Due to local anesthetic infiltration, small edema is seen in the tongue tip and sublingual area. In rare cases, the procedure is performed under general anesthesia and in this case it is necessary to wait approximately 4 hours for oral feeding and drinking water. It may be appropriate not to eat hard and hot foods for a few days after the procedure.


Feeding After Tongue Tie Release Operation


In the first few hours next; it is normal to see a small amount of bleedings under the tongue after the tongue tie operation.

In infants less than 6 months after the tongue tie operation, the use of local analgesic and chemical antiseptic products is not suitable!

It is not appropriate to use locally effective products, especially lidocaine or cortisone, in babies less than 6 months after the tongue tie release operation to make feeding easier and infants feeling less pain. Note that gels containing local lidocaine may be absorbed into the blood by sieving from the mucosal incision sites. Do not use a locally effective drug without consulting your doctor. Paracetamol-containing products may be used orally or as suppositories.

Feeding in babies after the tongue tie release operation

In infant patients, if the procedure is performed under local anesthesia after tongue tie release operation, it is ideal to be fed with breast milk. Tongue swelling and pain may make breastfeeding difficult and fingerfeeding, spoon feeding, or catheter feeding may be appropriate. Before breastfeeding, it may be appropriate to touch the cooled or refrigerated frozen breast milk for a few seconds to the surgical incision site. Tongue tie massage and cold breast milk before breastfeeding, can be changed to the incision area. I usually recommend frequent intermittent breastfeeding after tongue tie surgery (both for tongue movement and for the unique antiseptic and wound healing properties of breast milk). In patients who underwent tongue tie cutting under sedation anesthesia, it is appropriate to start feeding after 2 hours. When tongue tie is cut under general anesthesia, feeding can be started after 4 hours period.

Cooled breast milk can be used as a lubricant during massage in infants. Because of its unique content, epithelial and antiseptic properties, breast milk is a natural masassaging product that can be used in young infants without risk of allergy and infection.

Feeding in adult patients after the tongue tie release operation

I recommend that patients who undergo tongue tie release surgery under office conditions and under local anesthesia have the theme of freezing to the incision area under the tongue immediately after the procedure, and then switch to oral feeding with spicy, bitter and non-hot foods after 20 minutes. In patients under general anesthesia and under hospital conditions, a period of 4 hours is required after the operation.

You can find more details about tongue tie at >> Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia) - Definition, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Murat Enoz, MD, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon - ENT Doctor in Istanbul

Private Office:
Address: İncirli Cad. No:41, Kat:4 (Dilek Patisserie Building), Postal code: 34147, Bakırköy - İstanbul
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
E-Mail: muratenoz@gmail.com
Mobile phone: +90 533 6550199
Fax: +90 212 542 74 47


  

 


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