Patient Reported Outcomes Pre- and Post-Surgery in Patients With Cleft Lip/Palate: An Assessment of Post-Operative...

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Craniofacial Surgery
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) affects facial aesthetics and function.
• Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are crucial for evaluating surgical success in CL/P patients.
• The CLEFT-Q is a validated instrument for measuring PROs in CL/P.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in PROs from pre- to post-operation in CL/P patients.
• To compare PRO changes between CL/P patients who underwent surgery and those who did not.
• To identify specific surgical procedures associated with significant PRO improvements.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 256 CL/P patients (2021-2025) at a US tertiary care hospital.
• Analysis of CLEFT-Q scores pre- and post-operatively.
• Comparison of PROs between surgical (n=60) and non-surgical cohorts.

Main Results:

• Surgical patients had lower initial CLEFT-Q scores than non-surgical patients (P < .05).
• Rhinoplasty (n=15) significantly improved face, nose, nostrils, teeth, and lip scores post-operatively (P < .01).
• Orthognathic surgery showed a non-significant trend towards improved jaw scores (P = .10).

Conclusions:

• Surgical interventions in CL/P patients led to improved post-operative CLEFT-Q scores compared to non-surgical patients.
• Rhinoplasty was associated with the most substantial improvements in patient facial perception.
• Further research may explore long-term PROs and the impact of other CL/P surgeries.