Cleft cluster: a strategy for concurrent correction of multiple secondary clefting deformities

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Craniofacial Surgery
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Secondary cleft deformities often require multiple surgical interventions.
• Previous approaches may involve fragmented and sequential procedures, leading to prolonged treatment and increased costs.
• A consolidated surgical strategy can potentially improve patient outcomes and streamline care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and evaluate the
• cleft cluster
• approach for concurrent correction of multiple secondary clefting deformities.
• To assess the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of this consolidated surgical strategy.
• To determine the outcomes, including fistula recurrence rates, in a consecutive series of patients.

Main Methods:

• Development of the
• cleft cluster
• concept, expanding on the Henderson and Jackson model to include up to eleven procedures.
• Application of the strategy to 85 consecutive patients, with bone grafting of the alveolar cleft as the primary procedure.
• Individualized selection of additional corrective procedures based on patient-specific needs.

Main Results:

• An average of 7.2 procedures were performed per patient in a single hospitalization.
• Average hospitalization duration was 4.1 days.
• A fistula recurrence rate of 8% was observed over a 1- to 7-year follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• The
• cleft cluster
• approach offers a flexible, individualized, and cost-effective solution for managing complex secondary cleft deformities.
• This strategy consolidates multiple procedures, reducing hospitalizations and potentially improving treatment consistency.
• The approach demonstrates favorable outcomes with a low fistula recurrence rate in the studied patient cohort.