Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Care in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Is There Consensus on Surgical Management?

Abstract

Since the centralization of cleft care in the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1998 and 2007, there is now greater opportunity for close communication between cleft surgeons and for comparison of surgical protocols. British and Irish surgeons were surveyed in both 2009 and 2019 to gather data regarding their surgical approaches to patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) and the use of presurgical orthopedics (PSO) in this cohort. We present this data as a snapshot of BCLP care in the United Kingdom and Ireland and analyze it to determine whether there is any consensus on the surgical management of these patients. At present there remains no consensus on the optimal surgical management of patients with BCLP.