A Sustainable Solution for Reducing Draping Waste in Cleft Surgeries

ObjectiveThis study aims to reduce the waste generated from primary cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) repair.DesignA retrospective chart review examined a single surgeon's experience with CL/P repair using standard draping technique and reduced draping technique. Fisher's exact tests were performed comparing complication rates between techniques.SettingAll procedures were conducted at a single academic medical center under the care of a board-certified pediatric plastic surgeon and fellowship-trained pediatric anesthesiologists.PatientsThe study included all patients ≤ 24 months of age who underwent primary CL/P repair using a reduced draping technique at the senior author's institution. An equivalent number of patients who underwent CL/P repair by the senior author immediately prior to implementation of the reduced draping technique were included for comparison.InterventionPatients undergoing CL/P repair before the change in technique were draped using the standard CL/P draping. The senior author then switched to using a reduced draping on all CL/P repairs afterwards.Main Outcome MeasuresWeights and costs of both draping sets were obtained and differences calculated. A manual chart review was performed to assess rates of accidental intraoperative extubation, postoperative infection, fistula formation, and wound dehiscence.ResultsThe implementation of a reduced draping technique resulted in a 530 gram weight savings and $7.49 cost savings per procedure. Fisher's exact tests revealed no statistically significant differences in complication rates except for oral mucosal dehiscence, which was lower in the reduced draping group.ConclusionsReduced draping in CL/P repairs significantly reduces operative waste without compromising surgical outcomes.