Minimally invasive versus standard approach in LeFort 1 osteotomy in patients with history of cleft lip and palate.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Compare literature-reported efficiency and complications of the standard maxillary advancement surgery with those of a minimally invasive mucosal approach in patients with CL/P requiring Le Fort 1 osteotomy. DESIGN: Meta-analysis vs. retrospective analysis of 18 consecutive cases. SETTING: Department of maxillofacial surgery at a tertiary-level public general hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The meta-analysis encompassed Medline, Embase and Cochrane, years 1990 to 2014, inclusive. The local series concerned all squeletally mature adolescents with non-syndromic CL/P who underwent orthognathic surgery between 30 April 2004 and 27 January 2012. INTERVENTIONS: Minimally invasive approach and perioperative orthodontics including intermaxillary fixation for 3 months after surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Assessment of complications. Standard lateral cephalograms were taken before surgery, then <1 week and 12 months after surgery. Delaire's cephalometric analysis was performed and the position of the maxilla was recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the literature and our series regarding sex and type of deformity (P=0.634 and 0.779, respectively). The mean horizontal and vertical relapse rates were 0.61 and 1.17mm (vs. 1.29 and 1.48mm in the meta-analysis) and the overall complication rate was 22.2% (vs. 12.76% but P=0.271). There was a significant difference regarding the palatal fistula rate (0 here vs. 21.43% in meta-analysis, P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The minimally invasive approach showed trends toward less relapse and less complications than conventional approaches. This technique seems adapted to the management of patients with CL/P sequelae. Other benefiting groups are underway.