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Frenectomy
- A dedicated tongue-tie service
- See a specialist in within 48 hrs
- Special newborn treatments at The Portland Hospital at 84 Harley Street
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FRENECTOMY AT HCA UK
Why choose us?
If your child has a tongue tie, you’ll want the best people looking after them at every stage of what should be a quick and simple procedure. At HCA Healthcare UK, we work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, bringing together leading paediatric surgeons and consultants with specialist nursing staff to ensure great clinical results and quickly get your child back to their usual routine.
A tongue tie is where the thin strip of skin connecting your baby or child’s tongue to the bottom of their mouth is shorter than usual. This thin strip of skin is known as the frenulum and a frenectomy is a simple procedure that will quickly relieve your child’s tongue-tie.
Some children with a tongue tie aren’t affected by it, while others can have difficulty with nursing or eating because their tongue’s movement is restricted.
Tongue ties can make it difficult for babies to latch deeply while feeding causing discomfort for nursing mothers. Babies may also swallow more air than usual while feeding, increasing symptoms such as gassiness and reflux and making them excessively spit up.
Tongue ties can make it difficult for babies to latch deeply while feeding causing discomfort for nursing mothers. Babies may also swallow more air than usual while feeding, increasing symptoms such as gassiness and reflux and making them excessively spit up.
The tongue-tie release is performed using surgical scissors to snip your child’s short frenulum and release their tongue. It’s usually performed under local or general anaesthetic, depending on your child’s age.
It’s such a fast procedure that babies under three months old don’t require an anaesthetic at all.
It’s such a fast procedure that babies under three months old don’t require an anaesthetic at all.
Your child should recover quickly after their tongue tie is released. They may have some temporary discomfort which can be eased with paracetamol, and their tongue may feel like a jelly for a short while following the procedure.
Older children sometimes need stitches, but their under-tongue tissue will begin to heal in the first week and by two weeks, most babies and children will have fully healed and will be adapting well to their improved tongue mobility.
Very occasionally, babies will be fussy about eating for up to 48 hours. It’s important to feed your baby soon after their procedure to facilitate the natural healing process. Older children should be able to return to their usual eating routine shortly after their procedure too.
Your consultant will advise what’s best in your child’s case.
Older children sometimes need stitches, but their under-tongue tissue will begin to heal in the first week and by two weeks, most babies and children will have fully healed and will be adapting well to their improved tongue mobility.
Very occasionally, babies will be fussy about eating for up to 48 hours. It’s important to feed your baby soon after their procedure to facilitate the natural healing process. Older children should be able to return to their usual eating routine shortly after their procedure too.
Your consultant will advise what’s best in your child’s case.
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Appointments confirmed within 24 hours
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With results in as little as 48 hours
Treatments for complex conditions
We focus our breadth of expertise on your child
THE FRENECTOMY PROCESS
What to expect
Although this is a quick and simple procedure, we understand that you and your child may be worried. Our expert teams are here to help at every stage, through initial investigations to helping to release the tongue-tie and quickly getting your child back to nursing or eating. We have a different approach for babies under 3 months since it’s such a straightforward procedure.
01
Initial consultation
Your consultant will ask about any difficulties the tongue-tie is causing and carry out a thorough physical examination of your child’s mouth. They’ll talk you through the condition and discuss your best treatment options, giving you the chance to ask any questions you may have.
02
Investigation and diagnosis
Because the thin tissue bands are on the underside of the tongue, a physical examination is usually enough for your consultant to quickly diagnose the issue and decide on the next best steps. It’s highly unlikely that any imaging will be required.
03
Treatment
This is a gentle procedure that is quick and well-tolerated, causing minimal distress. Your paediatric surgeon will use surgical scissors to snip the problematic tissue. They’ll do their best to ensure that your child remains comfortable at all times. Depending on their age, your surgeon will opt for a general or local anaesthetic, although with very young babies, no anaesthetic is needed at all. Older children may need a few stitches to help with healing.
04
Aftercare
The good news is that usually your child’s under-tongue area will begin to heal in the first week and by two weeks, most babies and children will have fully healed. Your consultant will advise whether you need to make any changes to your child’s usual routine while things settle. But generally, they should be able to nurse or eat soon after the procedure.
Where can I access frenectomy surgery?
You can access HCA UK’s specialist surgical services at world famous The Portland Hospital and at The Harley Street Clinic. In both hospitals and treatment centres, you’ll have access some of the country’s best respected experts who can help, from initial consultation through to treatment and next steps.
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
Accessing private healthcare
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance for your child to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all of our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And we’ll give you a clear and transparent quote from the start, outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
FAQs
All babies under three months old are treated at The Portland Hospital Outpatients Tongue Tie clinic at 84 Harley Street.
No anaesthesia is required. Our surgeons use oral sucrose, a simple sugar solution, to help your baby relax and feel more comfortable before the procedure. We recommend that your baby is comforted after the procedure with feeding, which can also help to stop any bleeding.
Some babies fall asleep after the procedure, in which case we’d recommend feeding them as soon as they’re awake and willing. Your baby might be unsettled or fussy for a couple of days but should soon settle back to their usual behaviour.
No anaesthesia is required. Our surgeons use oral sucrose, a simple sugar solution, to help your baby relax and feel more comfortable before the procedure. We recommend that your baby is comforted after the procedure with feeding, which can also help to stop any bleeding.
Some babies fall asleep after the procedure, in which case we’d recommend feeding them as soon as they’re awake and willing. Your baby might be unsettled or fussy for a couple of days but should soon settle back to their usual behaviour.
A frenectomy is generally very safe and rarely causes complications. However occasionally your child may experience:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Scarring
- Feeding aversion
- Reattachment challenges
- Injury to the saliva ducts or nerves in their mouth
Our teams are here for you at every stage with advice and support, should you need it.
Babies that are over three months old require a general anaesthetic. Younger babies can simply be treated with oral sucrose.
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.