RESUMEN
The condition of cleft lip/cleft palate is a serious congenital malformatioin of world-wide distribution, This paper reviews the work of a Cleft Lip/Palate Clinic run by a general surgeon and a visiting volunteer plastic surgeon in the Belize City Hospital during the period 1980-1985. Seventy-four patients attended the Clinic, of whom 63 underwent surgery. There were 40 males and 34 females. A high incidence was noted among the Mestizoes and Ketchi Indians and a low incidence among Creoles. A positive family history was recorded in 22 cases. The majority of patients came from the districts. The deformities were classified as group I (anterior palate) -19; group II (anterior and posterior palate)-47; group III (posterior palate) -5; and "rare" -3. Forty-eight previously unoperated patients underwent surgery: 27 had lip repair by the Millard rotation-advancement technique; five had palatal repairs by the Langenbeck operation; and 16 had repair of both lip and palate. Fifteen previously operated patients underwent surgery, nine had revision surgery to the lip; one had closure of palate alone and six had lip revision with palatal closure. Abbee flaps were used on thre occasions. There was one case of wound infection of the lip and two cases of dehiscence of the palate. The incidence of the condition is compared to that of various ethnic groups reported from other countries and it is suggested that the incidence in Belize is higher than that recorded elsewhere. It is felt that Belize has taken the first steps in coping with a difficult clinical problem (AU)