Continuous Versus Interrupted Sutures for Primary Cleft Palate Repair

Area of Science:

• Cleft Palate Surgery
• Surgical Techniques
• Congenital Anomalies

Background:

• Cleft palate is a common congenital condition requiring surgical repair.
• Traditional repair uses interrupted sutures between 6-18 months for nasal and oral layer closure.
• Continuous sutures are standard in other surgical fields but not reported for cleft palate repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of continuous versus interrupted suture techniques in cleft palate repair.
• To evaluate operative time and material usage.
• To assess postoperative outcomes like wound dehiscence and fistula formation.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 152 patients over 3 years at Clapp Hospital Lahore.
• Patients were divided into two groups: continuous suture technique (84 patients) and interrupted suture technique (68 patients).
• Operative parameters (duration, suture material) and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Main Results:

• Continuous closure (Group A) had a mean nasal layer closure time of 7.08 minutes versus 11.50 minutes for interrupted (Group B).
• The continuous technique required significantly fewer sutures (2.12) compared to the interrupted technique (4.59) (P < 0.05).
• No significant differences were observed in postoperative wound dehiscence or fistula formation between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Continuous suture technique is a viable and effective method for cleft palate repair.
• This technique offers advantages in terms of time efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• The findings support the adoption of continuous sutures in palate repair surgery.