Frenotomy at Leicester Hospital

The frenulum is a bit of tissue that attaches the tongue to the muscle on the base of your mouth. If this tissue is very short or tight it can cause breast feeding problems in infants or speech problems. Your GP or specialist consultant can determine if a frenotomy (tongue tie release) would benefit your child. This procedure is usually performed on children younger than one year of age.

What happens during a frenotomy?

A frenotomy is a very short procedure usually performed in the clinic office. Your consultant will apply local anaesthetic to numb your baby’s mouth. Once the anaesthetic takes effect they will simply lift the tongue and snip the frenulum. You may see very minor bleeding. You can breast feed your baby immediately after this procedure.

Most children recover very quickly from a frenotomy. Complications are very rare but may include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Infection
• Recurrent tongue tie

Discuss any concerns you have with your consultant.