An Algorithmic Approach for Deploying Buccal Fat Pad Flaps and Buccal Myomucosal Flaps Strategically in Primary and Secondary Palatoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: Recent publications have introduced the use of buccal myomucosal and fat pad flaps to augment palatal repairs with autologous tissue. We propose a workflow for intraoperative decision-making to introduce these adjuncts into standard palatoplasty procedures. DESIGN/PATIENTS: A retrospective chart review of a single-surgeon series of patients undergoing primary and secondary palatoplasties performed between October 2017 and November 2020 was completed after Institutional Review Board approval. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographics, phenotype, operative details, and postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients were included in a review. For those undergoing primary repair, 23.3% underwent a Furlow palatoplasty alone, 46.3% had a Furlow palatoplasty accompanied with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and/or a buccal fat flap (BFF). A unilateral buccal myomucosal flap (BMMF) with or without augmentation with BFF or ADM was employed in 16.3% of the cases. Fourteen percent required a bilateral BMMF+/- ADM. Fistula occurrence was 2.3% (n = 1). For revisions, 27% underwent only a conversion Furlow palatoplasty, 26% had a conversion Furlow palatoplasty accompanied with ADM and/or a BFF, 33% had a unilateral BMMF or BMMF/ADM, and 14% required a bilateral BMMF+/- ADM. CONCLUSIONS: In severe phenotypes or complicated cases, buccal fat flaps and myomucosal flaps may be utilized. This approach has mostly replaced the use of ADM over time. An algorithmic approach to palatoplasty allows surgeons to tailor the extent of surgery to the needs of each patient.

Factors Influencing Timely Preparation of Alveolar Bone Grafting: A Survey of the ACPA.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that are commonly felt to impact a team's ability to ensure patients are orthodontically and dentally prepared for alveolar bone grafting at the appropriate time. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA)-approved multidisciplinary cleft teams. PARTICIPANTS: Cleft team coordinators. INTERVENTIONS: Cleft team coordinators were asked to complete the survey. RESULTS: Fifty-three team coordinators from the 167 ACPA-certified cleft teams completed the survey (response rate = 32%). The majority (83.02%) of cleft teams feel having a case manager increases or would increase the rate of timely bone graft preparation. Orthodontic and dental coverage varied greatly between teams with university/hospital employed dentists and volunteer private practice orthodontists representing the most frequent models. The reported percentage of patients seeking regular dental and orthodontic care with providers affiliated with the team did not correlate with the likelihood of timely bone graft preparation (P = .17; P = .43). Great variability was noted in the manner and frequency of team communication with families during orthodontic bone graft preparation. The presence of a designated case manager on the team was not significantly associated with the percentage of patients who were reported to be orthodontically prepared for bone graft surgery (P = .25). CONCLUSION: Within our survey data, there is great variability noted in factors that may potentially impact orthodontic bone graft preparation. The majority of teams felt that a case manager did or would help with this process, however, our study does not support this fact. Significant recall bias concerning the success of bone graft preparation may affect these results.

Comprehension of Online Educational Material Regarding Orofacial Clefts.

BACKGROUND: Cleft lip and palate are among the common birth defects in the United States. Management is complex and may be difficult for parents and patients to understand. The goal of this study was to evaluate the readability of online educational material provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) websites regarding cleft lip and palate and to assess parents' comprehension. METHODS: Parents of children younger than 10 years of age presenting to the plastic and reconstructive surgery clinic at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital for conditions other than cleft lip and palate were recruited for participation. Parents were given the literature published on the ASPS and ACPA web sites to review and were asked to complete a 5-question test specifically targeted to the content of the passage they reviewed. We tested the readability of the 2 online passages using Readability Studio software (Oleander Software Solutions Ltd). RESULTS: Sixty parents completed the study. Across all groups, the mean score was 4.35 of a possible 5. The mean score was 4.4 for the ASPS web site and 4.29 for the ACPA web site. Fifty-three percent of participants answered all questions correctly. No significant difference in scores was noted between web sites (P = .48). CONCLUSIONS: Despite containing content of varying reading-level difficulty, the literature posted on the ACPA and ASPS web sites concerning cleft lip and palate conveyed information equally well to the target parent demographic with high levels of comprehension.