Cleft Lip & Palate Clinic

Our experienced professionals at Texas Tech Physicians Ear, Nose and Throat are partnered with West Texas Craniofacial Center of Excellence and the Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Anomaly team to form the collective expertise necessary to hugely impact and improve the future of a child. 

Twice a month, this assembled team’s volunteer services provide skilled management of these issues to children born with cleft lip and palate, or craniofacial anomalies. Led by Texas Tech Physicians’ Joshua Demke, MD, the West Texas Craniofacial Center of Excellence and the Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Anomaly team are the region’s only American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) approved group, and their exceptional care has provided life-changing services to families across West Texas, the Texas Panhandle, and Eastern New Mexico. 

What is a Cleft Palate?

A cleft palate is the result of palatal shelves failing to fully come together from either side of the mouth during the first months of a child’s development. If the palatal shelves do not fuse, many challenges arise, including issues with eating, speech development, hearing, cosmetics, and formation of optimal dentition. Children born with deformities of the head and facial bones require intensive intervention and, when necessary, reconstructive surgery. This local team of seasoned professionals are dedicated to providing superior service and patient care to these children and their families.

While seeking medical care for a child is often a serious and daunting task, we work hard to make sure you have the best care possible in an environment you can trust. You can reach us at the contact information listed below.

Cupcakes for Clefts is a new nonprofit hoping to make a difference for kids with cleft palates. Founded by Dr. Joshua Demke, Cupcakes for Clefts was created with the idea that kids could host their own fundraisers for the organization, such as lemonade sales. This local Lubbock nonprofit seeks to make a difference for cleft palate care. MORE

A Story of Success

“When our son, Grant, was born we already knew that he would be born with a bi-lateral cleft lip and palate. It was still hard to look forward knowing the many challenges and surgeries we would be facing. We questioned ourselves as to how this could have happened. Truth is, it just does without rhyme or reason.

We first met Dr. Demke in the hospital the day Grant was born. We immediately fell in love with his confidence and the passion he showed for cleft babies and knew that Grant would be in good care. During our first consultation with Dr. Demke, he showed us before and after pictures of his previous surgeries and then gave us a timeline for Grant in preparation for his first 2 surgeries. After seeing the work that Dr. Demke had done on other bi-lateral cleft babies, we left feeling relieved and excited that Grant could and would look normal!

We were reassured that Grant really was in the best care with Dr. Demke on the day of his first surgery when Dr. Demke came out of the O.R. and personally walked us through a step by step outline of Grant’s surgical procedure. Although he was not finished with the surgery yet, he wanted to let us know exactly what he was doing and why the surgery was so timely. We had no idea the depths of what the surgery entailed and were in awe of the tedious steps he was taking to make Grant look as normal as possible.

Thanks to Dr. Demke and the cleft team at UMC, our son looks normal, and with each surgery things will get better. It’s a long road ahead, but with Dr. Demke and his team, we know there will be a great outcome.”

– Tim and Laura Healy