What is this disease?

• Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a disease in which  the strip of skin connecting the baby's tongue to the floor of their mouth is shorter than usual..

How it is diagnosed?

• Tongue-tie is sometimes diagnosed during a baby's routine newborn check, but it's not always easy to spot. It may not become apparent until  baby has problems feeding. In older children, it is apparent when it is noticed that they have difficulty lifting their tongue up or moving it from side to side, difficulty sticking their tongue out or the  tongue looks notched or heart-shaped when they stick it out.

How it is treated?

• Treatment involves a simple procedure called tongue-tie division.

When it should be operated?

• Untreated tongue-tie may not cause any problems as a child gets older, and any tightness may resolve naturally as the mouth develops. If it is creating problems like feeding difficulty or even cosmetic, tongue tie division is recommended.

Are there other alternative methods of treatment?

• Watchful waiting ,if the child is feeding well, is suggested by many surgeons

What all I need to know before my child surgery?

• Read “All you need to know before your child's surgery” information booklet in website.

How is the surgery done?

• In very young babies (those who are only a few months old), the procedure is carried out with a local anaesthetic that numbs the tongue. The procedure does not seem to hurt babies. This is because there are very few nerve endings in the area around the floor of the mouth. The baby's head is held securely while sharp, sterile scissors are used to snip the tongue-tie.

• A general anaesthetic is needed for older babies with teeth, which means they'll be unconscious throughout the procedure and may need stitches.

Remarks

• For more details of surgery, contact your surgeon

Related Photographs and videos

• Few photographs of steps done by me is given here for learning purposes