Dutch and Belgian Workflow for Ventilation Tubes Insertion in Children With Cleft Palate—A Survey Study

Abstract

Objective

The goal of this study is to provide an overview of the current clinical practices of cleft teams affiliated to the Dutch Association for Cleft Palate (CP) and Craniofacial anomalies in the Netherlands and in Belgium, with regards to the placement of ventilation tubes in young children with CP.

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Multicenter study, Oral Cleft Referral Centers of the Netherlands and Belgium.

Patients, Participants

Ear–nose–throat (ENT) surgeons, plastic surgeons, and language speech pathologists.

Interventions

Online survey.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

The survey questions covered the following topics: audiology assessment before palatoplasty, ventilation tube insertion (VTI) timing, postoperative follow-up visits.

Results

Response rate per center was 100% (11/11 cleft centers), for a total of 21 cleft specialists (44%). Most centers (n = 7/11) establish VTI indication before palatoplasty by means of audiology assessment combined with ENT surgeon examination. Most centers combine VTI with palatoplasty (n = 9/11), and schedule a routine follow-up 2 to 3 months after surgery (n = 7/11).

Conclusions

Although no standardized national or international protocols exist for the diagnosis and treatment of otitis media with effusion in children with CP, most Dutch and both Belgian cleft centers have independently developed local protocols that are largely aligned. Formalizing these into a unified written protocol represents an important next step toward optimizing and standardizing care for this patient population.