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Successful Management of Cleft Lip and Palate Malformation without Pre-Surgical Infant Orthopedics
Insights
Lip closure surgery effectively reduced cleft width and arch dimensions in infants without pre-surgical infant orthopedics (PSIO). This demonstrates a viable alternative for managing cleft lip and palate cases.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial Surgery
- Pediatric Plastic Surgery
- Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment
Background:
- Pre-surgical infant orthopedics (PSIO) are commonly used to manage cleft lip and palate.
- The efficacy of lip closure alone in reducing cleft dimensions without PSIO requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of lip closure on reducing cleft dimensions in infants not treated with PSIO.
- To assess the effectiveness of early soft tissue correction in managing cleft lip and palate.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 19 patients with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP) treated without PSIO.
- Surgical intervention included lip closure using the Tennison-Randall technique.
- Conventional and digital measurements were used to assess cleft width and arch dimensions.
Main Results:
- Lip closure significantly reduced cleft width in unilateral (UCLP) and bilateral (BCLP) cases.
- Significant reductions were observed in the width and sagittal depth of the alveolar arch.
- Measurements indicated reliable outcomes for cleft reduction without PSIO.
Conclusions:
- Early lip closure, specifically using the Tennison-Randall technique, can achieve effective cleft reduction without the need for PSIO.
- This approach offers a viable alternative for managing cleft lip and palate, potentially simplifying treatment protocols.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of lip closure on reduction of cleft palates when no pre-surgical infant orthopedics (PSIO) are used.
Study Design:
Retrospective patient chart-review in our department for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Medical Centre Freiburg, Germany. 19 patients at the age of 5.9 ± 2.1 months with surgical treatment of uni- (UCLP), or bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) without any use of PSIO were included.
Results:
Early soft tissue correction of the lip leads to an effective reduction of the maxillary arch without any use of PSIO. The presented conventional and digital measurements appeared to be reliable. A successful reduction of the cleft width (UCLP = 3.88 ± 2.42mm, BCLP = 7.33 ± 5.00mm), the width of the alveolar arch (1.91 ± 1.36mm) and the sagittal depth of the alveolar arch (3.07 ± 2.71 mm) could be achieved with the presented workflow.
Conclusions:
Cleft reduction was obtainable without PSIO when lip closure after Tennison-Randall was performed.
