Tongue swelling following cleft palate repair: report of a rare case

Introduction and importance: A congenital defect called cleft palate necessitates surgery for the correction of the defect of the palate. After a palatoplasty, tongue edema is a rare postoperative complication. It typically affects children who already have airway impairment from craniofacial abnormalities. Case presentation: We report the case of a 2-year-old child who, 3 hours after surgery, had severe anterior third tongue edema. The patient was scheduled for an elective intubation immediately and was monitored in the intensive care unit for 2 days. She was eventually discharged when the edema decreased. Discussion: Life-threatening large tongue edema is an extremely rare and terrifying complication that often appears 3–4 hours following surgery. The maximal manifestation of tongue edema often occurs 24–48 hours after surgery and subsides on its own. Due to continuous pressure applied to the tongue during the intraoperative period, surgery beyond 2 hours, and macroglossia, it may manifest even after 3–4 days. Conclusion: Prompt decision-making and all-encompassing team care are essential for handling this kind of issue. Careful monitoring of the child after palate surgery with required medical and surgical intervention is necessary to prevent life-threatening complications.