Do cleft lip and palate patients opt for secondary corrective surgery of upper lip and nose, frequently?

PURPOSE: This prospective study was aimed at assessing cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients' opinions and attitudes towards their upper lip and nose and the number of secondary corrective surgical interventions electively undertaken to upper lip and nose that were carried out during a 2 year follow-up period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a 2 year follow-up period CLP outpatients were recruited for the study who attended follow-up examinations at a cleft lip and palate craniofacial center and received a recommendation for secondary corrective facial surgery. The participants filled in a questionnaire that included questions regarding the patients' opinions and attitudes towards appearance of lip and nose and need for secondary corrective facial surgery. During an additional interval of 2 years the rate of patients who underwent secondary corrective surgery to lip and nose was documented.

RESULTS: Out of 362 CLP patients 37 (mean age 13.6 ± 7.6 years) received a recommendation for secondary corrective surgery to upper lip and/or nose. 22 patients (mean age 12.6 ± 6.3 years) filled in the questionnaire (response rate of 62.1%). The satisfaction with the overall facial appearance following the first corrective operation was statistically significantly better than the satisfaction with the nose (p = .016). The satisfaction with facial symmetry (5.6 ± 2.0) did not differ statistically significantly from the overall satisfaction with the facial appearance (6.2 ± 1.8; p = .093). Significantly fewer patients (n = 9) opted for corrective surgery compared to the number of patients who got the recommendation to have secondary corrective surgery done (n = 22, p < .0005).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study may reflect a high overall patient satisfaction with the primary treatment outcome following surgery for CLP. Perceived patient need for secondary operation for the lip/nose may be as low as 5%.