Time Trends and Determinants of Fistula in Cleft Patients at BC Children's Hospital, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1013-1019
Author(s):  
Negar Salimi ◽  
Jolanta Aleksejüunienė ◽  
Edwin Yen ◽  
Angelina Loo

Objective: To examine the time trends and determinants of palatal fistula in children with different types of cleft at British Columbia's Children's Hospital between 1995 and 2012. Methods: A total of 558 medical charts of nonsyndromic patients with cleft lip and palate were eligible for the chart review. The occurrence of primary palatal fistula was assessed at any time throughout the patient's total observation period. Three types of clefts were recorded: unilateral cleft lip and palate (ULCLP), bilateral cleft lip and palate (BLCLP), and isolated cleft palate (ICP). Cleft severity, time period of treatment, type of surgery and surgeon's experience were tested as determinants. Results: Of all 558 patients, 228 had ULCLP, 226 had ICP, and 104 had BLCLP. The combined postoperative palatal fistula rate was 28%. The significant differences in fistula rates related to type of cleft (patients with BLCLP had the highest fistula rates), time period (rates were higher in earlier years than in later years), type of surgery (highest rates were for two-flap palatoplasty), and surgeons with less experience. Conclusions: Almost one quarter of the patients, developed fistula, and fistula incidence declined after 2009. The higher fistula rates were determined by cleft severity, time period of treatment, type of surgery, and surgeon's experience.

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562198950
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Stoneburner ◽  
Naikhoba C. O. Munabi ◽  
Eric S. Nagengast ◽  
Madeleine S. Williams ◽  
Pedram Goel ◽  
...  

Objective: To identify factors associated with late cleft repair at a US tertiary children’s hospital. Design: Retrospective study of children with CL/P using Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) records. Setting: US tertiary children’s hospital. Patients/Participants: Patients undergoing primary CL or CP repair at CHLA from 2009 to 2018. Main Outcome Measures: Proportion of children who had delayed primary CL repair or CP repair using CHLA and American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) guidelines and factors associated with late surgery. Results: In total, 805 patients—503 (62.5%) who had CL repair, 302 (37.5%) CP repair—were included. Using CHLA protocol, 14.3% of patients seeking CL repair had delayed surgery. Delay was significantly associated with female gender, non-Hispanic ethnicity, Spanish primary language, government insurance, bilateral cleft, cleft lip and palate (CLP), and syndromic diagnosis. Using ACPA guidelines, 5.4% had delayed surgery. Female gender and syndromic diagnosis were significantly associated with delay and remained significant after adjustment for confounders in multivariate models. For CP repair, 60.3% of patients had delayed surgery using CHLA protocol. Cleft lip and palate diagnosis, complete cleft, syndromic diagnosis, and longer travel distance were significantly associated with delay. Using ACPA guidelines, 28.5% had delayed surgery; however, significant association with patient variables was not consistently observed. Conclusions: Delay in cleft surgery occurs most often for patients seeking CP repair and is associated with female gender, non-Hispanic ethnicity, Spanish language, government insurance, and bilateral CL, CLP, or syndromic diagnoses. Initiatives should aim to optimize cleft surgery delivery for these subpopulations.


1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Daskalogiannakis ◽  
Kari L. Kuntz ◽  
Albert E. Chudley ◽  
R. Bruce Ross

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of a relationship between the side of occurrence of unilateral clefting of the lip and/or palate and handedness, also taking into account the type of the initial cleft condition, a factor that has not been adequately assessed in previous studies. Design This was a retrospective study. Setting Division of Orthodontics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, and Cleft Lip and Palate Program, Children's Hospital, Winnipeg, Canada. Participants Subjects were 289 patients (176 males and 113 females) 9 years of age or older presenting with a history of unilateral clefts of the lip with or without the palate. Of these patients, 217 were recruited from the patient pool of the Orthodontic Clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The remaining 72 were selected from the registry of the Cleft Lip and Palate Program of the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg. Any syndromic cases were excluded from the sample. Main outcome Measures Assessment of handedness was performed by asking the patients to fill out a multi-item questionnaire in which patients were asked to identify which hand they would use for different tasks. The side and type of the initial cleft condition were identified by reviewing each patient's hospital chart and by cross-referencing with clinical examination. Statistical evaluation of the results was performed by using the chi-square test. Results There was a significantly larger number of left-sided clefts (198) in the sample than right-sided clefts (91), (p < .001). The proportion of left-sided clefts among left-handers (84.6%) was higher than that among right-handers (66.8%). However, the relationship between side of cleft and handedness was not statistically significant (p = .185). Clefts of the primary palate only seemed to occur on the left side 3.5 times more often than on the right, whereas the corresponding ratio of left:right manifestation for clefts of the primary and secondary palate was 1.8:1. The difference was statistically significant (p < .05). Conclusion The findings of this study confirm the affinity of unilateral clefts for the left side but suggest that there are differences between clefts of the primary palate only and clefts of the primary and secondary palate. Also, non-right-handed patients show a greater predilection for having a cleft on the left side than do right-handed patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1332-1335
Author(s):  
Daniel Velez Restrepo ◽  
Marilson Hideki Sato ◽  
Fernanda Saturnino Cardoso ◽  
Renato da Silva Freitas

Objective: Surgeries performed in the afternoon schedule were discouraged by Smile Train Foundation for patients younger than 2 years. The aim of this study is to present the incidence of complications discriminating time of surgery (morning/afternoon) in a reference center in Curitiba (Brazil) during 2017. Design: Retrospective study that evaluated all cleft surgeries that were performed at Assistance Center for Cleft Lip and Palate during 2017. Complications correlated with surgery period (morning/afternoon), type of surgery, and operating surgeon were studied. Statistical analysis was performed to find any association between discrete variables. Setting: Tertiary, institutional Participants: One hundred eighty-seven patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate/cleft lip and palate, who were evaluated and submitted to surgery in the center and had less than 24 months of age, were included in the study. Interventions: One hundred twenty-four cheiloplasties and 63 palatoplasties were performed. Main Outcome Measure: Incidence of complications. Results: From the total of cheiloplasties, the number of complications was 2 (1.6%) and from the total of palatoplasties the number of complications was 11 (17%); 8.1% of surgeries that were performed in the morning had any complication compared to 5.1% of surgeries performed in the afternoon. Statistical analysis of discrete variables with χ2 test showed no correlation between surgery schedule and complications (χ2 = 0.62). Conclusion: The number of complications was not higher in the afternoon scheduled surgeries. Surgeon expertise had a statistically significant correlation with the absence of complications (χ2 = 20.57).


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
Arthur S. Yang ◽  
Bruce M. Richard ◽  
Andrew K. Wills ◽  
Osama Mahmoud ◽  
Jonathan R. Sandy ◽  
...  

Objectives: To (1) determine the prevalence of nonperialveolar palatal fistula up to age 5 following repair of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) in the United Kingdom, (2) examine the association of palatoplasty techniques with fistula occurrence, and (3) describe the frequency of fistula repairs and their success. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: All 11 centralized regional cleft centers in the United Kingdom. Participants: Two hundred sixty-eight children born between 2005 and 2007 recruited by Cleft Care UK, a nationwide cross-sectional study of all 5-year-old children born with nonsyndromic UCLP. Main Outcome Measure: Nonperialveolar palatal fistula prevalence up to age 5. Results: Fistulas were found in 72 children (31.3%, 95% confidence interval: 25.4%-37.7%) and had no significant association with palate repair sequences. Twenty-four fistulas were repaired by age 5, 12 of which had data showing 10 (83.3%) successful repairs. Conclusion: The prevalence of nonperialveolar fistulas following primary palatoplasty of UCLP in the United Kingdom was higher than previously reported. This information should be part of the preoperative discussion with families. Prospective collection of the presence of fistulas will be necessary before we can associate the occurrence of fistulas with a surgeon, institution, surgical technique, or protocol of care.


Author(s):  
Deborah Sybil ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Priyanka Kapoor ◽  
Anshul Singhal ◽  
Vanshika Jain

<p class="abstract">The aim of this paper is to highlight the iatrogenic aspect of secondary cleft deformity, methodologies to treat them and the importance of reporting such cases. Secondary deformities are common in cleft lip and palate patients. Primary aim of treatment in cleft patients is to enhance their normal growth and development and minimize morbidity and number of operative procedures. Meticulous diagnosis, treatment planning and execution of primary surgery are of utmost importance in such cases to prevent majority of secondary deformities. Treatment of secondary deformity depends on the degree of deformity and the severity of impact on normal functions and growth. Following is a case of 16-year-old female patient who incurred secondary cleft deformities after undergoing multiple surgical interventions for congenital bilateral cleft lip alveolus and palate, last of which was conducted at the age of 6 years. Lip revision and tongue flap surgeries to close the palatal fistula were performed to address the patient’s complaint and improve quality of life. Performing a tongue flap for anterior palatal fistula was more successful than Bardach’s palatoplasty technique.<strong> </strong>It is important that each case encountered at various congenital defect care facilities is reported in literature to make the masses aware of probably outcomes and also help maintain a database to have more accurate data of such cases.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (11) ◽  
pp. 1171-1177

Background: Conventional treatment for cleft lip and palate patients is lip repair at three to four months and then palatal repair at nine to 12 months of age. However, for the patients who delay seeing a doctor especially in a developing area such as Northern Thailand, simultaneous lip and palate repair is performed at 12 to 18 months of age or later, depending on the age at the first visit. It is a common belief that patients with cleft lip and palate will be behind non-cleft patients in early development phonemes because of the open palate. This delay persists until the palate is repaired and on into the postoperative period. This proposition has not been proven with long-term clinical outcomes in one-stage repairs. Objective: To investigate the effects of one-stage repair on speech assessment, hearing, and incidence of palatal fistula. The results were compared with conventional two-stage surgical repairs. Materials and Methods: The present study was designed two groups. Group 1 consisted of 25 children (mean age 11.28±1.93 years) treated with a one-stage repair. Cleft lip, palate, and alveolus were repaired at a single surgical session in the first 18 months of life (mean age at the time of surgery 13.52±4.51 months). Group 2 consisted of 17 children (mean age 11.02±2.23 years) treated in two-stage surgical repairs. Lip repair was performed at a median age of 4.01 months (IQR 3.62 to 5.46), and palate repair was performed at a mean age of 13.54±4.14 months. Both groups underwent cleft lip and palate repairs at the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2010. Speech and hearing for all patients were evaluated by experienced ENT doctors. The palatal fistula was evaluated by the same plastic surgeons. Results: One-stage repair showed significant normal articulation and less articulation disorder when compared with two-stage surgical repairs. However, no significant difference was determined for other speech assessments, hearing, and incidence of palatal fistula. Conclusion: Because one-stage repair seems to have a more positive influence on articulation, and both surgical treatment protocols give similar results on speech assessments, hearing, and incidence of palatal fistula, regardless of the timing of the surgery, the one-stage repair is not inferior to conventional two-stage surgical repairs for patients in developing areas. This is due to several important advantages, such as less hospitalization, lower cost, and less chance of nosocomial infection. Keywords: One-stage repair, Speech, Hearing, Palatal fistula, Cleft lip, Palate


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (03) ◽  
pp. 298-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Kumar Mahajan ◽  
Amreen Kaur ◽  
Sardar Mahipal Singh ◽  
Prakash Kumar

ABSTRACTBackground: Cleft palate repair may be compromised by a number of complications, most commonly the development of a fistula. Fistulas may cause hypernasal speech, articulation problems and food or liquid regurgitation from the nose. Objective: The study determines the incidence and management of cleft palatal fistulas in a series of primary cleft palate repair surgeries. It is a retrospective analysis of total 185 palatal fistula cases operated at our hospital from the year 2004 to 2016. Subjects and Methods: Of 185 palatal fistulas, 132 cases had been operated at our institute for primary palatoplasty, and the rest 53 were the outside-operated cases. The patients with bilateral as well as unilateral cleft lip and palate were included. Isolated cleft palate patients were also included in the study. Palatal fistulas were subdivided into three types depending on their size. Anterior palatal fistulas were mostly treated by using tongue flap (65.57%), followed by local flaps (34.43%). Middle and posterior palatal fistulas were mostly treated by von Langenbeck Palatoplasty. One patient (>5 mm fistula) was treated using free radial forearm flap. Results: Anterior palatal fistulas (65.57%) were most commonly reported, followed by middle (24.86%) and posterior (9.18%). Most commonly, the size of the fistulas ranged from 2 mm to 5 mm. The complication rate was reported to be 3.75% in case of tongue flap and 11.9% complications were reported in case of local flaps. Conclusion: Tongue flap remains the flap of choice for managing very difficult and challenging anterior palatal fistulas compared to local flaps.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 1008-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair G. Smyth ◽  
Jianhua Wu

Objective: To assess outcomes from cleft palate repair and define the level of impact of palatal fistula on subsequent velopharyngeal function. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A regional specialist cleft lip and palate center within United Kingdom. Patients, Participants: Nonsyndromic infants born between 2002 and 2009 undergoing cleft palate primary surgery by a single surgeon with audited outcomes at 5 years of age. Four hundred ten infants underwent cleft palate surgery within this period and 271 infants met the inclusion criteria. Interventions: Cleft palate repair including levator palati muscle repositioning with or without lateral palatal release. Main Outcome Measures: Postoperative fistula development and velopharyngeal function at 5 years of age. Results: Lateral palatal incisions were required in 57% (156/271) of all cases. The fistula rate was 10.3% (28/271). Adequate palatal function with no significant velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) was achieved in 79% of patients (213/271) after primary surgery only. Palatal fistula was significantly associated with subsequent VPI (risk ratio = 3.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.95-4.69; P < .001). The rate of VPI increased from 18% to 54% when healing was complicated by fistula. Bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) repair complicated by fistula had the highest incidence of VPI (71%). Conclusions: Cleft palate repair with levator muscle repositioning is an effective procedure with good outcomes. The prognostic impact of palatal fistula on subsequent velopharyngeal function is defined with a highly significant 3-fold increase in VPI. Early repair of palatal fistula should be considered, particularly for large fistula and in BCLP cases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document