Impact of Neighborhood Deprivation and Social Vulnerability on Outcomes and Interventions in Patients with Cleft Palate.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether neighborhood disadvantage impacts length of follow-up, interventions, and outcomes for patients with cleft palate. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Cleft Palate Craniofacial Institute Database at St. Louis Children's Hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with cleft palate following in St. Louis Children's Hospital Cleft Palate Multidisciplinary Team Clinic. INTERVENTIONS: Primary palatoplasty between 2012-2017. Patients were divided into quartiles across area deprivation index (ADI) and social vulnerability index (SVI), two validated, composite metrics of neighborhood disadvantage, to examine whether living in neighborhoods from different deprivation quartiles impacts outcomes of interest. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Follow-up through age 5, surgeries and surgical complications, speech, developmental, and behavioral outcomes. RESULTS: 205 patients were included. 39% of patients belonged to the most deprived ADI quartile, while 15% belonged to the most vulnerable SVI quartile. There were no differences between ADI or SVI quartiles in number of operations received (p ≥ 0.40). Patients in the most deprived ADI quartile were significantly more likely to have speech/language concerns (OR 2.32, 95% CI [1.20-4.89], p = 0.01). Being in a more vulnerable SVI quartile was associated with developmental delay (OR 2.29, 95% CI [1.04-5.15], p = 0.04). ADI and SVI quartile did not impact risk of loss to follow-up in the isolated and combined cleft lip and palate subgroups (p ≥ 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood disadvantage impacts speech and developmental outcomes in patients with cleft palate despite comparable length of follow-up in multidisciplinary team clinic.

Impact of a Palatal Fistula After Cleft Palate Repair on Velopharyngeal Closure.

PURPOSE: A palatal fistula is an adverse outcome of cleft palate repair. It is unknown if a palatal fistula will influence velopharyngeal closure, even after repair of the fistula. This study determines the effect of a soft palate fistula on the risk of developing velopharyngeal insufficiency. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients who underwent primary cleft palate repair between 2000 and 2015, with complete records at 4 years of age. Fistulae involving the secondary palate following primary palatoplasty were classified as the soft or hard palate. A forced-entry multivariate logistic regression model was built to detect predictors of velopharyngeal dysfunction. RESULTS: Records of 329 patients were analyzed with a mean follow-up of 8.7 years. A palatal fistula was identified in 89/329 patients (27%) and 29/329 patients (9%) underwent an independent fistula repair. Of the patients with fistula, 44% were located in the hard palate only and 56% had soft palate involvement. Compared to patients without a fistula, rates of velopharyngeal dysfunction were significantly higher in patients with a fistula involving the soft palate (OR 3.875, CI: 1.964-7.648, P < .001) but not in patients with a hard palate fistula (OR 1.140, CI: 0.497-2.613, P = .757). Veau class, age at primary repair, and syndromic status were not significant predictors of VPI (0.128≤P ≤ .975). CONCLUSIONS: A palatal fistula involving the soft palate is a significant predictor for development of velopharyngeal dysfunction after primary palatoplasty. Surgical intervention, at the time of fistula repair, to add vascularized tissue may be indicated to prophylactically decrease the risk of velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Shared Decision-Making: Process for Design and Implementation of a Decision Aid for Patients With Craniosynostosis.

To describe the process of developing a craniosynostosis decision aid.We conducted a mixed-methods exploratory study between August 2019 and March 2020 to develop a decision aid about surgical treatment for single suture craniosynostosis.A single tertiary care academic children's hospital.The decision aid development team consisted of surgeons, research fellows, a clinical nurse practitioner, clinical researchers with expertise in decision science, and a university-affiliated design school. Qualitative interviews (N = 5) were performed with families, clinicians (N = 2), and a helmeting orthotist to provide feedback on decision aid content, format, and usability.After cycles of revisions and iterations, 3 related decision aids were designed and approved by the marketing arm of our institution. Distinct booklets were created to enable focused discussion of treatment options for the 3 major types of single suture craniosynostosis (sagittal, metopic, unicoronal).Three decision aids representing the 3 most common forms of single suture craniosynostosis were developed. Clinicians found the decision aids could help facilitate discussions about families' treatment preferences, goals, and concerns.We developed a customizable decision aid for single suture craniosynostosis treatment options. This tool lays the foundation for shared decision-making by assessing family preferences and providing clear, concise, and credible information regarding surgical treatment. Future research can evaluate this tool's impact on patient-clinician discussions about families' goals and preferences for treatment.

Management of Craniosynostosis in Lethal Perinatal Hypophosphatasia.

Although perinatal lethal hypophosphatasia (HPP) was once a disease with a universally poor prognosis, it has now become a rare but treatable condition with the advent of enzyme replacement therapy with asfotase alfa. As a result, a greater population of patients with perinatal HPP are presenting with abnormal head shape and craniosynostosis. The authors present here 3 cases of perinatal lethal HPP, 1 treated with traditional open cranial vault remodeling and 2 treated utilizing distraction osteogenesis techniques. All patients demonstrated outcomes comparable to those previously reported with traditional observation or open cranial vault repair. Thorough consideration and discussion between the surgical team and patient's family is needed to determine a treatment plan that best addresses the goals of patient and family in light of recent advances in medical treatment in this rare patient population in which surgical interventions were previously nearly impossible. This article further supports the safety and efficacy of surgical intervention and explores the utility of distraction osteogenesis to address craniosynostosis in this patient population.

A Case of Nonsyndromic Craniosynostosis in an Infant Child of Jehovah's Witness Parents: Is Surgical Correction Appropriate?

An infant with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis is brought to clinic by his Jehovah's Witness parents to discuss treatment. Five potential courses of action are discussed in the context of biomedical ethics principles. The potential conflict between parents' autonomy to make decisions for their child and the surgeon's ethical duty of beneficence to the patient is explored.

Variability and Excess in Opioid Prescribing Patterns After Cleft and Craniosynostosis Repairs.

OBJECTIVE: To critically analyze pediatric opioid prescription patterns after cleft and craniosynostosis repairs. DESIGN: Observational study 1) retrospectively reviewing pediatric opioid prescriptions from July 2018 to June 2019 and 2) prospectively surveying patients about actual opioid use from August 2019 to February 2020. SETTING: Academic tertiary care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: 133 pediatric patients undergoing cleft lip and/or palate or craniosynostosis repairs. Prospective surveys were offered at postoperative visits; 45 of 69 eligible patients were enrolled. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Opioid doses prescribed at discharge and actual home opioid use. RESULTS: 90 patients with cleft lip and/or palate and 43 patients with craniosynostosis were included. Median prescribed opioid doses were 10.3 for cleft lip and/or palate procedures (range 0-75), and 14.3 for craniosynostosis repairs (range 0-50). In patients with cleft lip and/or palate, there was a negative correlation between age at surgery and prescribed opioid doses (rs = -0.228, p = 0.031). 45 patients completed surveys of home opioid use. No patients used more than 10 doses. Forty percent used no opioids at home, 33% used 1 to 2 doses, 18% used 3 to 5 doses, and 9% used 6 to 10 doses. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid prescriptions vary widely after common craniofacial procedures. Younger patients with cleft lip and/or palate may be more likely to be prescribed more doses. Actual home opioid use is less than prescribed amounts, with most patients using five or fewer doses. A prescribing guideline is proposed.

Family Experiences with Diagnosis of Craniosynostosis: Thematic Analysis of Online Discussion Boards.

OBJECTIVE: Apply thematic analysis of online discussion boards to characterize families' experiences and concerns regarding craniosynostosis diagnoses to aid physicians in tailoring care to families. DESIGN: Grounded theory-based qualitative analysis. SETTING: Discussion boards related to craniosynostosis identified via Google and Yahoo. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Posts about craniosynostosis between 2017-2022. INTERVENTIONS: Thematic analysis was performed using three rounds of coding. Post features including author type and use of technical language were examined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Overarching themes emerging from analysis of posts, with forums analyzed until sufficient thematic repetition was observed. RESULTS: 366 posts from 4 websites by 290 unique users were included. Parents of patients with craniosynostosis wrote 59% of posts while patients wrote 4%. Five selective codes were identified: 1) Building Community, 2) Diagnosis/Evaluation, 3) Treatment, 4) Outcomes, and 5) Emotional Concerns. Building Community was the most assigned code (85% of posts). 71% of parents' posts expressing emotional concerns expressed negative emotions, commonly regarding anxiety about diagnosis (71%), frustration about doctors' responses (21%), or negative reactions to online search results (17%). 88% of patients' posts expressed positive emotions, discussing positive long-term outcomes. Concerns that may guide physicians included anxiety about delayed diagnosis, difficulty distinguishing postpartum head shape changes from craniosynostosis, and difficulty finding a care team. CONCLUSIONS: Online discussion boards allow families of patients with craniosynostosis to share experiences and find community. Improving communication between surgeons, pediatricians, and families about timing of evaluation and revising online information about this condition may ameliorate some anxiety associated with this diagnosis.

Multidisciplinary Optimal Outcomes Reporting and Team Clinic Retention in Isolated Nonsyndromic Cleft Palate.

OBJECTIVE: Optimal Outcomes Reporting was recently introduced to categorize outcomes after cleft palate repair. We seek to propose an expanded version of Optimal Outcomes Reporting and to determine if correlation exists between the expanded outcomes and persistence with team care follow-up through age 9. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Cleft team at large pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: Patients with isolated nonsyndromic cleft palate (n = 83) born from 2001-2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients who continued to present at age 5 or greater were assessed for optimal outcomes. Optimal outcomes were: surgery - no fistula or velopharyngeal insufficiency; otolaryngology - no obstructive sleep apnea or signs of chronic middle ear disease; audiology - no hearing loss; speech-language pathology - no assessed need for speech therapy. RESULTS: Of the 83 patients identified, 41 were assessed for optimal outcomes. Optimal outcome in any discipline was not associated with follow-up through age 9 (0.112 ≤ p ≤ 0.999). For all disciplines, the group with suboptimal outcomes had a higher proportion of patients from geographic areas in the most disadvantaged quartile of social vulnerability index, with the strongest association in the group with suboptimal speech outcome (OR 6.75, 95% CI 0.841-81.1). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal outcomes and retention in team clinic were not statistically significantly associated, but clinically relevant associations were found between patients in the most disadvantaged quartile of social vulnerability and their outcomes. A patient-centered approach, including caregiver education about long-term care for patients with cleft palate, would allow for enhanced resource utilization to improve retention for patients of concern.

Deep-learning synthesized pseudo-CT for MR high-resolution pediatric cranial bone imaging (MR-HiPCB).

PURPOSE: CT is routinely used to detect cranial abnormalities in pediatric patients with head trauma or craniosynostosis. This study aimed to develop a deep learning method to synthesize pseudo-CT (pCT) images for MR high-resolution pediatric cranial bone imaging to eliminating ionizing radiation from CT. METHODS: 3D golden-angle stack-of-stars MRI were obtained from 44 pediatric participants. Two patch-based residual UNets were trained using paired MR and CT patches randomly selected from the whole head (NetWH) or in the vicinity of bone, fractures/sutures, or air (NetBA) to synthesize pCT. A third residual UNet was trained to generate a binary brain mask using only MRI. The pCT images from NetWH (pCTNetWH ) in the brain area and NetBA (pCTNetBA ) in the nonbrain area were combined to generate pCTCom . A manual processing method using inverted MR images was also employed for comparison. RESULTS: pCTCom (68.01 ± 14.83 HU) had significantly smaller mean absolute errors (MAEs) than pCTNetWH (82.58 ± 16.98 HU, P < 0.0001) and pCTNetBA (91.32 ± 17.2 HU, P < 0.0001) in the whole head. Within cranial bone, the MAE of pCTCom (227.92 ± 46.88 HU) was significantly lower than pCTNetWH (287.85 ± 59.46 HU, P < 0.0001) but similar to pCTNetBA (230.20 ± 46.17 HU). Dice similarity coefficient of the segmented bone was significantly higher in pCTCom (0.90 ± 0.02) than in pCTNetWH (0.86 ± 0.04, P < 0.0001), pCTNetBA (0.88 ± 0.03, P < 0.0001), and inverted MR (0.71 ± 0.09, P < 0.0001). Dice similarity coefficient from pCTCom demonstrated significantly reduced age dependence than inverted MRI. Furthermore, pCTCom provided excellent suture and fracture visibility comparable to CT. CONCLUSION: MR high-resolution pediatric cranial bone imaging may facilitate the clinical translation of a radiation-free MR cranial bone imaging method for pediatric patients.

Porous Polyethylene Versus Autologous Costochondral Reconstruction for Microtia: Incidence and Analysis of Secondary Procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the frequency of autologous and alloplastic ear reconstructions for patients with microtia in the United States, and describe post-index procedure rates associated with each method. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Claims data from 500 + hospitals from IBM® MarketScan® Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 649 patients aged 1 to 17 years with International Classification of Diseases, ninth/tenth revision (ICD-9/10) diagnoses for microtia, congenital absence of the ear, or hemifacial microsomia. INTERVENTIONS: Alloplastic or autologous ear reconstruction between 2006 and 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Post-index procedures performed within 1 year following the index repair, analyzed across the study period and separately for each half of the study period (2006-2012, 2012-2018). RESULTS: A total of 486 (75%) qualifying patients received autologous and 163 (25%) received alloplastic reconstruction. Secondary procedure rates were significantly higher in the autologous group at 90 days (P = .034), 180 days (P < .001), and at 365 days (P < .001). Alloplastic reconstruction accounted for 23.2% of reconstructions in the first half of the study period compared with 26.7% in the second half (P = .319). One-year secondary procedure rates in the autologous group were not significantly different between both halves of the study period (69.7% vs 67.1%, P = .558), but were significantly lower in the second half for the alloplastic group (44.9% vs 20.2%, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: In these databases, autologous reconstruction is more common than alloplastic reconstruction. Autologous reconstruction is staged, with most undergoing a secondary procedure between 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. Secondary procedure rates decreased over time in patients undergoing alloplastic reconstruction.

Long-Term Effects of Nasoalveolar Molding in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate long-term treatment effects of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). DESIGN: Included manuscripts met the following criteria: (1) involved patients with UCLP who received NAM; (2) included comparison group(s) who either received non-NAM passive presurgical infant orthopedic appliances (PSIO) or who did not receive any PSIO; (3) reported at least one objective or validated measure of nasolabial, craniofacial, or palatal form; and (4) had patient follow-up beyond 4 years of age. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included in this review. Meta-analyses were possible for Asher-McDade parameters and cephalometric measurements. Compared to patients who did not receive any PSIO, those who underwent NAM therapy were more likely to have good to excellent frontal nasal form (Risk ratio: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.24-3.68) and vermillion border (Risk ratio: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.19-2.71). However, there were no statistically significant differences in cephalometric measurements between these groups. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between patients receiving NAM versus non-NAM PSIO. There was insufficient evidence to determine the impact of NAM on dental arch development. CONCLUSIONS: The preponderance of evidence in this review suggests that NAM produces benefits in nasolabial aesthetic form when compared with no appliance-based presurgical treatment. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether NAM produces such benefits when compared with other passive PSIOs.

Cost of Cleft Team Care at an Academic Children's Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The financial burden of cleft-craniofacial team care is substantial, and high costs can hinder successful completion of team care. SOLUTION: Collaboration with multiple stakeholders including providers, insurers, and patient guardians, as well as hospital administrators, is critical to increase patient retention and improve final clinical outcomes. WHAT WE DO THAT IS NEW: At our cleft and craniofacial center, charges for a team care visit fall into one of three categories-hospital fees, professional fees, or external fees. There are four types of hospital fees depending on (1) whether the patient is new or returning, and (2) whether the patient saw ≤4 or ≥5 providers. To further elucidate the financial burden (out-of-pocket costs) directly borne by families of children with cleft lip and/or palate, we conducted a retrospective review of billing records of team care visits made between September 2019 and March 2020. Out-of-pocket costs for a single team care visit (on a commercial insurance plan) ranged from $4 to approximately $1220 and had a median (IQR) of $445 ($118, $749).

Mind the Gap: Alveolar Bone Graft Revision in the Era of Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of revision alveolar bone grafting (ABG) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) before and after the introduction of postoperative computed tomography (CT). DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study analyzing the incidence of revision ABG in patients with and without postoperative CT scans for graft success evaluation. SETTING: Academic tertiary care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty-seven patients with CLP or cleft lip and alveolus treated with autologous iliac crest bone grafting for alveolar clefts over a 10-year period (January 2009 to March 2019) with minimum 6-month follow-up. Fifty patients had postoperative CT evaluation; 37 did not. INTERVENTIONS: Postoperative CT to determine ABG success, versus standard clinical examination and 2-dimensional radiographs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Requirement for revision ABG, defined as failure of the original graft by clinical or radiographic examination. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of patients underwent a postoperative CT scan at median interval of 10 months after surgery. Patients with postoperative CT evaluation had a 44% rate of revision ABG (22/50) for inadequate graft take, compared to 5% (2/37) in patients without postoperative CT (P < .001; 95% CT, 31%-58% in the CT group, 1%-16% in the non-CT group). CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography evaluation after ABG is associated with a significantly increased revision rate for inadequate graft take. The presence of a secondary palatal fistula at the time of original ABG is not associated with revision requirement. Lack of standardized dental and orthodontic records complicates the study of ABG outcomes and presents an area for systems-based improvement.

Effect of Veau Class on Levator Veli Palatini Muscle Composition.

OBJECTIVE: To examine levator veli palatini muscle composition in patients with nonsyndromic cleft palate and investigate the impact of Veau class. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care academic hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen patients with nonsyndromic cleft palate were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: During primary palatoplasty, a sample of levator veli palatini muscle was excised and prepared for histological analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fat and collagen content were determined utilizing Oil Red and Sirius red stains, respectively, while muscle fiber cross-sectional areas were calculated from H&E-stained samples, with analysis using histomorphometric methods. Immunofluorescent staining of myosin heavy chain isoforms was performed. RESULTS: Patients underwent repair at 10.8 months of age (interquartile range [IQR] 10.2-12.9). Fat content of the levator veli palatini muscle was low in both groups, ranging from 0% to 5.2%. Collagen content ranged from 8.5% to 39.8%; neither fat nor collagen content showed an association with Veau classes. Mean muscle fiber cross-sectional area decreased with increasing Veau class, from 808 µm2 (range 692-995 µm2) in Veau II to 651 µm2 (range 232-750 µm2) in Veau III (P = .02). There was also a nonsignificant decrease in proportion of type I muscle fibers with increasing Veau class (44.3% [range 31.4%-84.4%] in Veau II vs 35.3% [range 17.4%-61.3%] in Veau III). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle fiber area in levator veli palatini muscles decreases in Veau III clefts in comparison to Veau II. The impact of these differences in velopharyngeal dysfunction requires further analysis of a larger cohort.

Cognitive Development in Lambdoid Craniosynostosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Lambdoid craniosynostosis affects approximately 1 in 33 000 live births per year, and surgical correction is often sought in order to achieve normocephaly and allow for adequate brain growth. However, the effects of lambdoid synostosis and its treatment on cognitive development are unknown. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: A systematic review of Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov was conducted in January 2022. Included studies assessed cognitive development of patients with nonsyndromic unilateral lambdoid craniosynostosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of developmental tests were compared to normative data or controls to generate Hedges' g for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of 3 studies describing general cognition showed that cases scored significantly lower than their peers, but within 1 standard deviation (g = 0.37, 95% CI [-0.64, -0.10], P = .01). Meta-analysis of verbal and psychomotor development showed no significant differences in children with lambdoid synostosis. Studies were of fair quality and had moderate-to-high heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lambdoid craniosynostosis may score slightly below average on tests of general cognition in comparison to normal controls, but results in other domains are variable. Analyses were limited by small sample sizes. Multidisciplinary care and involvement of a child psychologist may be helpful in identifying areas of concern and providing adequate scholastic support. Further research recruiting larger cohorts will be necessary to confirm these findings and extend them to other developmental domains such as attention and executive function.

Factors contributing to delay or absence of alveolar bone grafting.

INTRODUCTION: Alveolar bone grafting (ABG) delay can lead to suboptimal outcomes. This study seeks to categorize reasons patients with cleft lip and palate have no record of ABG or who underwent later than typical ABG (≥13 years). METHODS: At a single tertiary care center, a retrospective review was performed of all patients with unilateral, complete cleft lip and palate, born 1998-2005. Database query identified which patients had timely, late, or no record of ABG. The retrospective cohort study was performed to categorize ABG delay or absence of recorded ABG. RESULTS: Of 135 participants, 82 (61%) had timely, 8 (6%) had late, and 45 (33%) had no record of ABG. The primary factor for late ABG was noncompliance or refusal (n = 5 of 8, 63%), comorbidity or medical complexity (n = 1 of 8, 13%), orthodontic unpreparedness (n = 1 of 8, 13%), or inaccurate prior assessment of alveolar sufficiency (n = 1 of 8, 13%). The primary factor for ABG record absence was loss to follow-up (n = 40 of 45, 89%), noncompliance or refusal (n = 3 of 45, 7%), comorbidity or medical complexity (n = 1 of 45, 2%), or orthodontic unpreparedness (n = 1 of 45, 2%). Racial majority (White, Asian) patients received preferred care (timely ABG or medically appropriate absence or delay) at a significantly higher rate (67%) than underrepresented minorities (African American, Hispanic, Native American, other) (35%, P = 0.016). Families with private insurance and those who were self-pay received preferred care at a significantly higher rate (77%) than families with Medicaid (42%) (P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The high number of patients lost to follow-up highlights the impact of poor retention on ABG completion. Possible health disparities based on race and insurance status warrant clinical focus.

Management of sagittal synostosis in the Synostosis Research Group: baseline data and early outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Sagittal synostosis is the most common form of isolated craniosynostosis. Although some centers have reported extensive experience with this condition, most reports have focused on a single center. In 2017, the Synostosis Research Group (SynRG), a multicenter collaborative network, was formed to study craniosynostosis. Here, the authors report their early experience with treating sagittal synostosis in the network. The goals were to describe practice patterns, identify variations, and generate hypotheses for future research. METHODS: All patients with a clinical diagnosis of isolated sagittal synostosis who presented to a SynRG center between March 1, 2017, and October 31, 2019, were included. Follow-up information through October 31, 2020, was included. Data extracted from the prospectively maintained SynRG registry included baseline parameters, surgical adjuncts and techniques, complications prior to discharge, and indications for reoperation. Data analysis was descriptive, using frequencies for categorical variables and means and medians for continuous variables. RESULTS: Two hundred five patients had treatment for sagittal synostosis at 5 different sites. One hundred twenty-six patients were treated with strip craniectomy and 79 patients with total cranial vault remodeling. The most common strip craniectomy was wide craniectomy with parietal wedge osteotomies (44%), and the most common cranial vault remodeling procedure was total vault remodeling without forehead remodeling (63%). Preoperative mean cephalic indices (CIs) were similar between treatment groups: 0.69 for strip craniectomy and 0.68 for cranial vault remodeling. Thirteen percent of patients had other health problems. In the cranial vault cohort, 81% of patients who received tranexamic acid required a transfusion compared with 94% of patients who did not receive tranexamic acid. The rates of complication were low in all treatment groups. Five patients (2%) had an unintended reoperation. The mean change in CI was 0.09 for strip craniectomy and 0.06 for cranial vault remodeling; wide craniectomy resulted in a greater change in CI in the strip craniectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: The baseline severity of scaphocephaly was similar across procedures and sites. Treatment methods varied, but cranial vault remodeling and strip craniectomy both resulted in satisfactory postoperative CIs. Use of tranexamic acid may reduce the need for transfusion in cranial vault cases. The wide craniectomy technique for strip craniectomy seemed to be associated with change in CI. Both findings seem amenable to testing in a randomized controlled trial.

Presurgical Orthopedic Intervention Prior to Cleft Lip and Palate Repair: Nasoalveolar Molding Versus Passive Molding Appliance Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) is a widely used presurgical orthopedic device, despite disputes over its effectiveness. This study compares the outcomes after cleft lip and nose repair in patients who received NAM versus those who underwent passive alveolar molding with lip taping. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate who received either NAM (n = 16) or passive molding (n = 10) treatments was conducted. Alveolar gap width was measured on maxillary casts until time of palatoplasty. Nasolabial symmetry was assessed by examining anthropometric ratios on post-operative three-dimensional photographs. Burden of care was evaluated by analyzing the number of patient appointments attended, treatment costs, and caregiver satisfaction surveys. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference existed in alveolar gap at time of initial appointment or palatoplasty, however the gap was smaller in the NAM cohort at time of lip and nose repair. No statistically significant difference existed in postsurgical heminasal width, nostril width, nostril height, labial height or nasal ala projection asymmetry between the NAM and the passive molding cohort. Patients in the NAM group attended more dental appointments and incurred higher treatment costs compared to the passive molding group. Caregivers reported high satisfaction with treatment outcomes in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences between NAM and passive molding regarding postsurgical nasolabial appearance and patient satisfaction. Both treatments narrow the alveolar gap. However, NAM places a higher burden of care on families.

Effects of Single-Dose Preoperative Pregabalin on Postoperative Pain and Opioid Consumption in Cleft Orthognathic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have illustrated the efficacy of pregabalin in decreasing postoperative opioid use in adults undergoing orthognathic surgery. We aimed to study the effects of a single dose of preoperative pregabalin on total opioid consumption after orthognathic surgery in individuals with cleft lip and palate. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent Le Fort I midface advancement between June 2012 and July 2019. All patients had a diagnosis of cleft lip and palate. The treatment group received a 1-time preoperative dose of pregabalin; the control group did not. Total morphine milligram equivalent (MME) consumption was calculated by adding intraoperative and postoperative opioid use during admission. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were included in this study; 12 patients received pregabalin. The pregabalin group had significantly lower total opioid consumption (total MME 70.95 MME; interquartile range [IQR]: 24.65-150.17) compared to the control group (138.00 MME; IQR: 105.00-232.48) (MU = 31.00, P = 0.031). The difference in mean pain scores in the treatment group (3.21 ±â€Š2.03) and the control group (3.71 ±â€Š2.95) was not statistically significant (P = 0.651, 95% confidence interval -1.75 to 2.75). CONCLUSIONS: A 1-time preoperative dose of pregabalin before orthognathic surgery in patients with cleft lip and palate reduced total opioid consumption during admission without increasing patient pain. A single preemptive dose of pregabalin should be considered an effective adjunct to pain management protocols in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

Timing of Cleft Palate Repair in Patients With and Without Robin Sequence.

BACKGROUND: This cohort study aimed to assess how age at repair affects outcomes in nonsyndromic patients with and without Robin Sequence using a national database of commercial healthcare claims. METHODS: Children under 4 years of age undergoing palatoplasty were identified in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database based on ICD-9-CM and CPT procedure codes. They were divided into Robin and non-Robin cleft palate groups, and further divided by time of initial cleft palate repair: Robin Sequence into 2 groups: age ≤10 months or >10 months; non-Robin cleft palate into 3 groups: age ≤10 months, >10-14 months, or >14 months age. Time to cleft palate revision within each group was assessed using Cox proportional-hazard models. RESULTS: A total of 261 patients with Robin Sequence and 3046 with non-Robin cleft palate were identified. In patients with Robin, later repair was associated with decreased risk of secondary procedures compared with early repair (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.19, 95%CI 0.09-0.39, P < 0.001). In patients with non-Robin cleft palate, decreased risk of revision compared to early repair was associated both with repair at >10-14 months (adjusted HR 0.40, 95%CI 0.31-0.52, P < 0.001) and > 14 months (adjusted HR 0.71, 95%CI 0.57-0.88, P = 0.002). Adjusting for timing of repair, patients with non-Robin cleft palate were at significantly increased risk of secondary procedure if diagnosed with failure to thrive or anemia in the 30 days prior to palatoplasty. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with and without Robin sequence, cleft palate repair at or before 10 months of age was associated with higher risk for secondary procedures.