Burden of cleft surgery —a 21-year follow-up of patients with cleft lip and palate

ConclusionsUnsurprisingly, both the inpatient and outpatient burdens of care are influenced by the complexity of the cleft and increase with worsening severity. Our results will help inform parents of the likely trajectory their child will face when diagnosed with each subtype of cleft. The 2014 data shows that modern cleft care is changing; a combination of reduced hospital stay and the addition of streamlined outpatient appointments will both be of great benefit. The influence of modern day life will hopefully reduce the associated burden that has been highlighted in this paper and it is vital the benefits of modernisation are communicated to parents as well.Level of evidence: Level III, risk/prognostic study.
Source: European Journal of Plastic Surgery - Category: Cosmetic Surgery Source Type: research