Should Cleft Surgery Always be Performed During the Matutine Time? Analysis of Early and Late Postoperative Complications in a Cleft Center

Abstract

Objective:

Surgeries performed in the afternoon schedule were discouraged by Smile Train Foundation for patients younger than 2 years. The aim of this study is to present the incidence of complications discriminating time of surgery (morning/afternoon) in a reference center in Curitiba (Brazil) during 2017.

Design:

Retrospective study that evaluated all cleft surgeries that were performed at Assistance Center for Cleft Lip and Palate during 2017. Complications correlated with surgery period (morning/afternoon), type of surgery, and operating surgeon were studied. Statistical analysis was performed to find any association between discrete variables.

Setting:

Tertiary, institutional

Participants:

One hundred eighty-seven patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate/cleft lip and palate, who were evaluated and submitted to surgery in the center and had less than 24 months of age, were included in the study.

Interventions:

One hundred twenty-four cheiloplasties and 63 palatoplasties were performed.

Main Outcome Measure:

Incidence of complications.

Results:

From the total of cheiloplasties, the number of complications was 2 (1.6%) and from the total of palatoplasties the number of complications was 11 (17%); 8.1% of surgeries that were performed in the morning had any complication compared to 5.1% of surgeries performed in the afternoon. Statistical analysis of discrete variables with χ² test showed no correlation between surgery schedule and complications (χ² = 0.62).

Conclusion:

The number of complications was not higher in the afternoon scheduled surgeries. Surgeon expertise had a statistically significant correlation with the absence of complications (χ² = 20.57).