The Lima Surgical Protocol for Cleft Palate Repair.

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial surgery
• Pediatric surgery
• Plastic surgery

Background:

• Cleft lip and palate repair is a complex surgical challenge.
• A cleft team in Lima, Peru, has developed and utilized distinct surgical protocols.
• This study evaluates surgical outcomes from two protocols for non-syndromic cleft palate repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare surgical outcomes between two distinct cleft palate repair protocols.
• To assess the efficacy of the Lima Protocol versus a previous protocol.
• To identify differences in postoperative complications and functional results.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of 124 children (2007-2014) treated with the Lima Protocol versus 145 children (1999-2007) treated with a previous protocol.
• Evaluation of symptomatic oronasal fistulas, velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), and postoperative complications.
• Statistical analysis to compare outcomes between the two treatment groups.

Main Results:

• The Lima Protocol demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in flap necrosis.
• No significant differences were observed in the rates of palatal fistula or VPI between the two protocols.
• Overall postoperative complications were reduced with the Lima Protocol.

Conclusions:

• The Lima Surgical Protocol is an effective alternative for cleft palate repair, adapting techniques to cleft severity.
• This protocol offers improved surgical outcomes, particularly regarding postoperative complications.
• The Lima Protocol represents a valuable advancement in managing non-syndromic cleft palate.