The most common congenital deformity of the head and neck, cleft lip and palate, presents the surgeon with a unique esthetic and reconstructive challenge. The complexity of these deformities demands the skills of a multidisciplinary team of professionals to optimize surgical outcome. This article discusses the embryology, epidemiology, and genetics of cleft lip and palate and details the history and modern methods of their surgical correction, the proper goal of which is restoration of normal facial form and velopharyngeal function.