The Implications of Laterality in Unilateral Cleft Lip Reconstruction: A Global Survey of Cleft Surgeons

Abstract

Objective

To explore the impact of directional laterality in complete Unilateral Cleft Lip (UCL) amongst the global cleft surgeon community

Design

Cross-sectional survey study.

Setting

Global distribution of online survey distributed in English and Spanish.

Participants

Cleft surgeons from around the world.

Main outcome measures

Survey participant perception of the impact of laterality on: (1) cleft presentation (2) surgical challenge and (3) surgical outcomes.

Results

Responses were received from 453 cleft surgeons located in 54 countries around the world. 221 (49%) had previously considered differences in patients presenting with a left- versus right-sided UCL. 95 (21%) considered right-sided clefts more difficult to reconstruct, 37 (8%) reported left-sided clefts to be more difficult and 321 (71%) reported no difference in difficulty between the cleft sides. Higher volume cleft surgeons, characterised by those reporting cleft as their principal area of practice and performing >20 cleft operations per year, were more likely to have both previously considered differences in laterality in cleft and to report right-sided unilateral cleft lip to be more difficult to primarily reconstruct. 395 (87%) did not consider surgical outcomes to be influenced by cleft laterality.

Conclusions

This survey reports perceptions on cleft laterality from a large body of global surgeons and suggests a trend for increased difficulty in right-sided compared to left-sided cleft lip reconstruction, where such laterality-associated difficulty is perceived.