Paediatrics
Surgery for Congenital Anomalies in Nigeria
Some children are born with a difference that surgery can correct, such as a cleft lip or palate, or a bowel or bottom that has not formed fully. These repairs are often done in planned stages over months or years. The price is a written quote for each stage after the surgeon has examined your child, because no single number would be honest.
Also called: Birth defect surgery, Cleft lip repair, Anorectal malformation repair, Paediatric reconstructive surgery
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultant paediatric surgeon opinion: ₦35,000
Your price is a written quote after the consultation, for each stage of the plan, because the operation, the number of stages and the stay depend on your child's condition. It does not move without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The surgeon, the anaesthetist and the theatre for the stage being quoted
- Your child's bed for the stay that stage needs, with a parent staying
- Routine medication and dressings while admitted
- Reviews after that stage
Not in the quote
- Care for a newborn emergency, which needs a neonatal surgical unit straight away
- Later stages, each quoted in writing before it is booked
- Speech therapy, dental and orthodontic care that cleft care needs over the years
- Intensive care, if it is needed
What decides your quote
- The condition and how many stages it needs
- Your child's age and weight at surgery
- Other conditions that affect the anaesthetic
HMO cover for congenital conditions varies, and some plans exclude conditions present at birth. Prior authorisation is filed by the desk once the written quote exists, and what you would pay is confirmed before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- A child born with a cleft lip or cleft palate
- A child born with a bottom opening that is absent or in the wrong place, after the first newborn operation
- Hirschsprung disease, after diagnosis by biopsy
- Other differences present at birth that a paediatric surgeon advises repairing
When it is not the right answer
- A newborn with a blocked bowel, vomiting green fluid, or an abdominal wall defect, who needs a neonatal surgical unit immediately rather than a booking
- Hypospadias, an undescended testis or a groin hernia, which have their own published prices
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Consultation with a paediatric surgeon₦35,000
Your child is examined and the condition explained, with what the stages would be.
- 2
Tests
Scans, X-rays or a biopsy, as the condition needs.
- 3
Written plan and quote for each stage
Timing, the operations and the price of each, in writing.
- 4
Surgery
Stage by stage, at the ages each stage works well.
- 5
Reviews between stages₦25,000
Growth, feeding and healing checked.
Recovery, realistically
First days
In hospital with your child, for as long as that stage needs.
Weeks after
Wound care at home, with a clear number to call.
Between stages
Growth and feeding checked so the next stage is done at the right time.
Risks you should be told about
- Risks depend on the operation and are explained in writing for each stage
- Infection and bleeding
- A repair needing revision as your child grows
- Anaesthetic risk, low with an anaesthetist experienced with children
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Why can you not give me a price now?
Because these conditions range from a single short operation to several over years. A written price for each stage, after examination, is the honest version.
What age is right?
It depends on the condition. A cleft lip is usually repaired in the first months and a palate before about eighteen months, so speech develops well.
Will my child need more than one operation?
Often, yes. The plan sets out each stage before the first is booked.
Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 11 October 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.