Postoperative respiratory difficulties following primary cleft palate repair in infants with Robin sequence versus

Shirley van de Velde1, Merel M Smit1, Robrecht J H Logjes1

  • 1Department of Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Insights

Infants with Robin sequence (RS), particularly non-isolated RS, face a higher risk of postoperative respiratory difficulties (PRD) after cleft palate repair (CPR). Preoperative palatal plate analysis showed limited predictive value for PRD in these infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Craniofacial Anomalies
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Cleft palate repair (CPR) is a common surgical procedure in infants.
  • Postoperative respiratory difficulties (PRD) are a known complication.
  • Robin sequence (RS) presents unique challenges due to airway anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare PRD incidence after primary CPR between isolated cleft palate (iCP) and Robin sequence (RS) infants.
  • Evaluate the utility of preoperative palatal plate analysis in RS infants.
  • Identify risk factors for PRD in infants undergoing CPR.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of infants undergoing primary CPR from January 2009 to June 2022.
  • Inclusion of infants with iCP and RS (further categorized into non-isolated RS [niRS] and isolated RS [iRS]).
  • Statistical analysis to compare PRD rates and assess the impact of palatal plate screening.

Main Results:

  • Infants with RS exhibited significantly higher PRD rates compared to iCP infants (14/53 vs. 9/74, p=0.04).
  • Infants with niRS had a significantly higher risk of PRD versus iCP infants (OR=4.16, p=0.031).
  • Preoperative palatal plate screening in RS infants (n=25) revealed no abnormalities and did not alter perioperative management or predict PRD.

Conclusions:

  • Infants with niRS are more susceptible to PRD following primary CPR than iRS or iCP infants.
  • Postponing CPR in RS infants to avoid PRD showed no clear benefit.
  • Preoperative palatal plate analysis has low predictive value for identifying RS infants at risk of PRD.

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