Should Children With Cleft Palate Receive Early Long-Term Tympanostomy Tubes

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber D. Shaffer ◽  
Matthew D. Ford ◽  
Sukgi S. Choi ◽  
Noel Jabbour

Objectives: To determine whether children with cleft palate might benefit from early long-term tympanostomy tubes with the hypothesis that receiving multiple tubes is associated with shorter duration of first tubes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care children’s hospital. Participants: Records from 401 consecutive children with cleft palate ± cleft lip, born April 2005 to April 2010, were reviewed. After exclusion of children with cleft repair at an outside hospital, no follow-up after 5 years of age, intact secondary palate, no tubes, or tube replacement at palatoplasty, 105 children remained. Main Outcome Measure: Number of tubes. Results: Armstrong grommet tubes were placed at a median age of 6.7 months (range 2.3-19.6 months). Tubes were replaced in 55.3% of patients, with 34.0% receiving ≥3 sets. Duration of first tubes was significantly longer for children with 1 set of tubes compared with those with multiple sets (median 26 vs 19 months, P = .004). Otorrhea, but not perforation, was associated with longer duration of first tubes (median 27 vs 20.5 months, P = .028). Cleft type did not impact the proportion of patients with multiple tubes. Median age at last tube placement for children with multiple tubes was 5.0 years (range 1.9-8.7 years). Conclusion: Short duration of first tubes is associated with receiving multiple tubes. Because most patients require repeat tubes and many require tubes until school age, there is a significant need for controlled, prospective trials of early long-term tube placement in this population.

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-394
Author(s):  
Yuta Nakajima ◽  
Shunsuke Yuzuriha ◽  
Fumio Nagai ◽  
Kenya Fujita ◽  
Masahiko Noguchi

Objective: In unilateral cleft lip and palate, the reconstructed nasal floor is sometimes uplifted regardless of the reconstructive method used. We used a 5-0 absorbable anchoring suture, the oronasal transfixion suture (ONT suture), to fasten the reconstructed nasal floor to the orbicularis oris muscle to prevent this deformity. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the ONT suture. Design: Blind retrospective study of photography and chart review. Setting: Shinshu University Hospital, tertiary care, Nagano, Japan. Private practice. Patients: Ninety-three consecutive patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate who had undergone primary nasolabial repair in our department and affiliated hospitals between 1999 and 2011 participated in this study. Finally, 45 patients were included. Interventions: The ONT suture was put in place at the time of primary nasolabial repair. Main Outcome Measure: The height of the nasal floor was evaluated on submental view photographs at 5 years old. Results: The ONT suture was applied in 21 patients. The height of the nasal floor on the cleft side was significantly closer to that on the noncleft side with the ONT suture than without the ONT suture ( P = .008). Conclusions: The ONT suture is effective to prevent uplifted nasal floor deformity on the cleft side// in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate at the time of primary nasolabial repair.


2017 ◽  
Vol 157 (4) ◽  
pp. 676-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence E. Imbery ◽  
Lindsay B. Sobin ◽  
Emily Commesso ◽  
Lindsey Koester ◽  
Sherard A. Tatum ◽  
...  

Objective Describe longitudinal audiometric and otologic outcomes in patients with cleft palates. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Single academic medical center. Methods Charts of 564 patients with a diagnosis of cleft palate (59% syndromic etiology, 41% nonsyndromic) from 1998 to 2014 were reviewed. Patients without at least 1 audiometric follow-up were excluded from analysis. Patient demographics, surgeries, audiometric tests, and otologic data were recorded for 352 patients. Results Forty-five percent had isolated cleft palates, 34% had unilateral cleft lip and palate, and 21% had bilateral cleft lip and palate. Patients were followed for a mean of 50.3 months with a mean of 3.2 separate audiograms performed. Patients received a mean of 2.93 pressure equalization tubes. Increased number of pressure equalization tubes was not associated with incidence of cholesteatoma, which was identified in only 4 patients. Nine patients underwent eventual tympanoplasty with an 89% closure rate. Analysis of mean air-bone gap by cleft type did not reveal significant differences ( P = .08), but conductive losses and abnormal tympanometry persisted into teenage years. Conclusions Patients with cleft palates have eustachian tube dysfunction, which, in our cohort, resulted in persistent conductive hearing loss, highlighting the importance of long-term follow-up. Cholesteatoma incidence was low and not associated with number of tubes, which at our institution were placed prophylactically. Tympanoplasty was successful in those with persistent perforations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 758-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Staffan Morén ◽  
Per Åke Lindestad ◽  
Mats Holmström ◽  
Maria Mani

Morén, S., Lindestad, P. Å., Holmström, M., & Mani, M. (2018). Voice Quality in Adults Treated for Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Long-term Follow-up After 1- or 2-Stage Palate Repair. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 55(5), 758–768. DOI: 10.1177/1055665618754946 Article withdrawn by publisher. Due to an administrative error, this article was accidentally published in Volume 55 Issue 5 as well as Volume 55 Issue 8 of publishing year 2018 with different DOIs and different page numbers. The incorrect version of the article with DOI: 10.1177/1055665618754946 has been replaced with this correction notice. The correct and citable version of the article remains: Morén, S., Lindestad, P. Å., Holmström, M., & Mani, M. (2018). Voice Quality in Adults Treated for Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Long-Term Follow-Up After One- or Two-Stage Palate Repair. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 55(8), 1103–1114. DOI: 10.1177/1055665618764521


2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franceline A. Frans ◽  
Paul P.M. van Zuijlen ◽  
J.P.W. Don Griot ◽  
Chantai M.A.M. van Der Horst

Objective To assess scar quality after cleft lip repair. Design The linear scars of patients with cleft lip with or without cleft palate were evaluated in a prospective study using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale. Linear regression was performed to identify which scar characteristics were important according to patients and observer. Setting Regular outpatient follow-up visit with the cleft palate teams of two tertiary centers. Patients All consecutive patients were asked to participate in this study after informed consent, minimally 1 year postsurgery. Main Outcome Measure Scar characteristics influencing patient and observer opinion after cleft lip repair. Results A total of 86 patients with cleft lip with or without cleft palate were included, resulting in evaluation of 99 scars. Two scar characteristics, itching and pain, were seldom a concern for the patients. Linear regression showed that scars assessed longer after surgery had a better outcome. Conclusion Scar itching and pain did not seem to have an effect on patient opinion of the quality of the scar, and the majority of the patients were more satisfied with the outcome of their scar than the observer was.


2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 900-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Padovano ◽  
Alison K. Snyder-Warwick ◽  
Gary B. Skolnick ◽  
Kristin D. Pfeifauf ◽  
Maithilee D. Menezes ◽  
...  

Objective: To report the incidences of secondary lip and nose operations, otolaryngology procedures, speech-language therapy, neurodevelopmental concerns, and dental and orthodontic issues in children with isolated cleft lip to inform multidisciplinary cleft team protocols. Setting: An American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association–approved team at a tertiary academic children’s hospital. Design: Retrospective cohort study of patients evaluated through longitudinal clinic visits by a multidisciplinary cleft palate and craniofacial team between January 2000 and June 2018. Patients, Participants: Children with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft alveolus (n = 92). Results: Median age at final team visit was 4.9 years (interquartile range: 2.4-8.2 years). Secondary plastic surgery procedures were most common between ages 3 and 5 (135 per 1000 person-years), and the majority of these procedures were minor lip revisions. The rate of tympanostomy tube insertion was highest before age 3 (122 per 1000 person-years). By their final team visit, 88% of patients had normal hearing and 11% had only slight to mild conductive hearing loss. No patients had speech errors attributable to lip abnormalities. Psychological interventions, learning disabilities, and dental or orthodontic concerns were uncommon. Conclusions: Most patients with isolated cleft lip may not require long-term, longitudinal evaluation by cleft team specialists. Cleft teams should develop limited follow-up protocols for these children to improve resource allocation and promote value-based care in this patient population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-167
Author(s):  
Jeff Markey ◽  
Rebecca Maine ◽  
Kimberly Daniels ◽  
Emily Yang Yu ◽  
George Gregory ◽  
...  

Objective: Study the prevalence of otologic disease in a pediatric post-palatoplasty population with no prior ear tube placement in resource-deprived countries and assess patient characteristics associated with these abnormal results. Design: Retrospective data review. Participants: Ecuadorian and Chinese children identified during humanitarian cleft lip and palate repair trips with cleft palates undergoing palatoplasty from 2007 to 2010. Interventions: Tympanometry and otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing performed following palatoplasty. Patients’ parents administered surveys regarding perceived hearing deficits. Main Outcome Measures: Age, gender, Veau classification, follow-up time, laterality, and country of origin were evaluated for possible association with type B tympanogram, “Refer” Otoacoustic results, and presence of hearing difficulty as identified by a parent. Significant predictors were further evaluated with multivariate analysis. Results: The cohorts included 237 patients (129 Ecuadorian, 108 Chinese); mean age: 3.9 years; mean follow-up: 4.2 years. Thirty-nine percent scored type B, 38% failed OAE testing, and 8% of parents noted hearing deficits. The country of origin and a younger age were identified as predictive variables regarding type B tympanogram. Follow-up time, country of origin, and bilateral OAE “Refer” results all significantly predicted parental questionnaire results. Subsequent multivariable analysis further demonstrated effect modification between the 2 variables of age at palatoplasty and country of origin when predicting type B vs type A tympanometry. Conclusion: Without otologic intervention, cleft palate children in resource-deprived settings suffer type B tympanometry and failed OAE results with similar to increased incidences to other studied cleft palate populations with otologic interventions available.


1994 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy L. Smith ◽  
Douglas C. Diruggiero ◽  
Kim R. Jones

Eustachian tube dysfunction is a nearly universal complication of cleft palate, resulting in chronic ear disease and conductive hearing loss. Cleft palate repair is thought to result in recovery of eustachian tube function, but the length of time between repair and recovery of eustachian tube function is not known. Furthermore, the efficacy of tympanostomy tubes in the treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction and hearing sequelae has not been examined in a systematic way. To answer these questions, we performed a retrospective study that used serial audiometric data and tympanometry on 81 patients with cleft palates (162 ears), with follow-up ranging from 1 to 17.3 years. Average time to recovery of eustachian tube function was 6.0 years (range, 1.0 to 10.3 years) after cleft palate surgery. For children followed up for at least 6 years (longest follow-up, 17.3 years), 70% (67 of 85) had normal eustachian tube function at their last follow-up visit. Ears treated with Armstrong tympanostomy tubes required an average of 3.1 tubes per ear until recovery of eustachian tube function, whereas ears treated with Goode T tubes required only 1.1 tubes per ear ( p < 0.05). Hearing evaluation revealed that 67% of ears had abnormal hearing thresholds (>20 dB) before tympanostomy tube placement, whereas only 7.5% of ears demonstrated this loss after tube placement. Furthermore more than 90% of ears maintained normal thresholds after recovery of eustachian tube function. These data indicate that most children with cleft palates eventually recover normal eustachian tube function after palatoplasty, but for the majority of children, this does not occur for many years. Furthermore, the hearing loss before tympanostomy tube placement and palatoplasty largely resolves after aeration of the middle ear and does not result in any significant permanent hearing deficit.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562199610
Author(s):  
Buddhathida Wangsrimongkol ◽  
Roberto L. Flores ◽  
David A. Staffenberg ◽  
Eduardo D. Rodriguez ◽  
Pradip. R. Shetye

Objective: This study evaluates skeletal and dental outcomes of LeFort I advancement surgery in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) with varying degrees of maxillary skeletal hypoplasia. Design: Retrospective study. Method: Lateral cephalograms were digitized at preoperative (T1), immediately postoperative (T2), and 1-year follow-up (T3) and compared to untreated unaffected controls. Based on the severity of cleft maxillary hypoplasia, the sample was divided into 3 groups using Wits analysis: mild: ≤0 to ≥−5 mm; moderate: <−5 to >−10 mm; and severe: ≤−10 mm. Participants: Fifty-one patients with nonsyndromic CLP with hypoplastic maxilla who met inclusion criteria. Intervention: LeFort I advancement. Main Outcome Measure: Skeletal and dental stability post-LeFort I surgery at a 1-year follow-up. Results: At T2, LeFort I surgery produced an average correction of maxillary hypoplasia by 6.4 ± 0.6, 8.1 ± 0.4, and 10.7 ± 0.8 mm in the mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. There was a mean relapse of 1 to 1.5 mm observed in all groups. At T3, no statistically significant differences were observed between the surgical groups and controls at angle Sella, Nasion, A point (SNA), A point, Nasion, B point (ANB), and overjet outcome measures. Conclusions: LeFort I advancement produces a stable correction in mild, moderate, and severe skeletal maxillary hypoplasia. Overcorrection is recommended in all patients with CLP to compensate for the expected postsurgical skeletal relapse.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000348942098742
Author(s):  
David W. Wassef ◽  
Nehal Dhaduk ◽  
Savannah C. Roy ◽  
Gregory L. Barinsky ◽  
Evelyne Kalyoussef

Objectives: Tympanostomy tubes can prevent sequelae of otitis media that adversely affect long term hearing and language development in children. These negative outcomes compound the existing difficulties faced by children who are already diagnosed with developmental disorders. This study aims to characterize this subset of children with developmental disorders undergoing myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion. Methods: A retrospective review using the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) was conducted, with codes from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision used to query data from the years 2003 to 2012 to determine a study group of children with a diagnosis of a developmental disorder undergoing myringotomy and tympanostomy insertion. This group was compared statistically to patients undergoing these procedures who did not have a diagnosed developmental disorder. Results: In total, 21 945 cases of patients with myringotomy with or without tympanostomy tube insertion were identified, of which 1200 (5.5%) had a diagnosis of a developmental disorder. Children with developmental disorders had a higher mean age (3.3 years vs 2.9 years, P = .002) and higher mean hospital charges ($43 704.77 vs $32 764.22, P = .003). This cohort also had higher proportions of black (17.6% vs 12.3%, P < .001) and Hispanic (23.9% vs 20.6%, P = .014) patients, and had lower rates of private insurance coverage (39.6% vs 49%, P < .001). Conclusion: The population of children with developmental disorders undergoing myringotomy or tympanostomy tube placement has a different demographic composition than the general population and faces distinct financial and insurance coverage burdens. Further study should be done to assess if these differences impact long term outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110089
Author(s):  
Gillian R. Diercks ◽  
Michael S. Cohen

Objective To evaluate how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected tympanostomy tube placement and practice patterns. Study Design A retrospective review of billing data. Setting A large-volume practice with both community and tertiary care providers. Methods As part of a quality initiative, billing data were queried to identify children <18 years of age who underwent tympanostomy tube placement between January 2019 and December 2020. Patient age, practice location, and case numbers were gathered. Results The study included data from 2652 patients. Prior to state-mandated clinic and operating room restrictions, there were no significant differences in the number of tympanostomy tubes placed ( P = .64), including month-to-month comparisons, the distribution of patients being cared for at community vs tertiary care sites ( P = .63), or patient age at the time of surgery ( P = .97) between 2019 and 2020. After resumption of outpatient clinical and elective surgical activities, the number of tympanostomy tubes placed decreased significantly between 2019 and 2020 (831 vs 303 cases, P = .003), with a persistent month-to-month difference. In addition, patients undergoing tube placement were older (4.5 vs 3.2 years, P < .001). The distribution of cases performed in the community setting decreased during this time period as well ( P < .001). Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of pediatric tympanostomy tube placement has significantly decreased. The age of patients undergoing surgery has increased, and more children are being cared for in a tertiary setting. These findings may reflect changes in the prevalence of acute and chronic otitis media as the result of the pandemic.


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