Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the current status of initial cleft lip and palate repair in Japan by analyzing the data on 1) techniques and timing of initial cleft lip surgery, 2) techniques and timing of initial cleft palate surgery and 3) timing of alveolar bone grafting, contained in the booklet "Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Plan —Current Practice of 111 Multidisciplinary Teams in Japan—" published by the Japanese Cleft Palate Association. The following results were obtained.
1. Approximately 70% of the initial operations for unilateral cleft lips are performed using the technique classified as the Millard or modified Millard procedure. Many of these operations are undertaken at age 3 months.
2. Bilateral cleft lip reconstruction is performed in a single stage at 68.8% of the institutions surveyed. The most frequently used techniques are the Mulliken and modified Mulliken techniques, accounting for 46.5%. The most common timing of the operation is 3 months after birth.
3. Cleft palate repair is carried out in one stage at 82.5% of the institutions. Pushback techniques account for 60% of the palate repair techniques used.
4. As for criteria for the timing of alveolar bone grafting, approximately 50% of institutions use calendar age, 30% use tooth eruption status, while some institutions base their decisions on input from orthodontists.
