Prospective study of the sagittal growth of the maxilla in patients with maxillary unilateral complete cleft lip and palate operated at 6 months of age under a functional technique

Abstract

Introduction: One of the common consequences of the surgical treatment of cleft palate patients is the excessive maxillary retrusion, which has not only aesthetic consequences but can also cause a psychological problem affecting their insertion in the social and work environment. The aim of this study was to determine whether the functional surgical repair of the lip in a same group of patients with maxillary unilateral complete cleft lip and palate, operated at 6 months of age, allows a normal sagittal development of the maxilla, both in the stage of mixed and permanent dentition, with a 8 year-long monitoring of this group of patients, and comparing the sagittal maxillary growth between these two periods.