Publications by authors named "Alexandra Verzella"
Patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) characteristically present with maxillary hypoplasia and class III malocclusion. Protraction headgear (PHG) is a commonly used treatment for this type of malocclusion, with the goal of reducing future surgical needs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of PHG treatment and determine the pretreatment predictors of long-term PHG success in patients with CLP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Postoperative management following primary cleft lip repair varies across institutions, cleft care teams, and individual surgeons. Postoperative precautions employed after cleft lip repair include dietary restrictions, pacifier limitations, and immobilization, with arm restraints long being used. Yet, restraint distress has led to the exploration of other forms of immobilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study analyzed changes in the lower lip of patients with clefts after undergoing one-piece Le Fort I advancement surgery, focusing on those who had pre- and post-operative scans.
- A total of 64 skeletally mature patients (45 males, 19 females) were included, with improvements in lip position and reduction in their upper-to-lower lip discrepancy noted after surgery.
- The results showed significant posterior displacement of the lower lip, which correlated more with mandibular changes than maxillary advancements, affecting both BCLP and UCLP patients similarly.
Objectives: To objectively quantify results of sagittal lip changes following Abbe flap reconstruction in patients with bilateral cleft lip.
Design: Retrospective, observational study.
Setting: Single institution, 8-year retrospective review.
Article Synopsis
- * Findings reveal a prevalence of 19.9 cases of OC per 10,000 live births, with the highest rates found among Asian and Native American populations, and lower rates in Black patients.
- * The study highlights a positive association between OC prevalence and poverty levels, while indicating that urban, suburban, and rural areas show no significant differences in OC rates, emphasizing the need for comprehensive prenatal care addressing social determinants of health.
Background: The effectiveness of virtual-reality (VR) simulation-based training in cleft surgery has not been tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate learners' acceptance of VR simulation in airway management of a pediatric patient post-cleft palate repair.
Methods: This VR simulation was developed through collaboration between BioDigital and Smile Train.
Background: Pharmacologic agents are often used in the antepartum period, however, studies on their effect on fetal development are limited. Thus, this study aims to examine the effect of commonly prescribed antepartum medications on the development of orofacial clefting.
Methods: Utilizing EPIC Cosmos deidentified data from approximately 180 US institutions was queried.
LeFort I Horizontal Osteotomy: Defining the Feasibility of the "High Osteotomy".
Cleft Palate Craniofac J
January 2025
Objective: To define "high osteotomy" and determine the feasibility of performing this procedure.
Design: Single institution, retrospective review.
Setting: Academic tertiary referral hospital.
Introduction: Facial masculinization surgery (FMS) is increasingly popular among cisgender and transgender men. The benefits of FMS are focused on facial identity and have been proven to decrease gender dysphoria in this population. Previous research showed increasing interest in gender affirmation surgery and facial feminization surgery, but the prevalence of FMS has not been explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In October 2012, an open-access, multimedia digital cleft simulator was released. Its purpose was to address global disparities in cleft surgery education, providing an easily accessible surgical atlas for trainees globally. The simulator platform includes a three-dimensional surgical simulation of cleft care procedures, intraoperative videos, and voiceover.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gingivoperiosteoplasty (GPP) can avoid secondary alveolar bone graft in up to 60% of patients. The effects of GPP on maxillary growth are a concern. However, palatoplasty can also negatively impact facial growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehind the Scenes of Extracellular Vesicle Therapy for Skin Injuries and Disorders.
Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle)
November 2022
Skin wounds and disorders compromise the protective functions of skin and patient quality of life. Although accessible on the surface, they are challenging to address due to paucity of effective therapies. Exogenous extracellular vesicles (EVs) and cell-free derivatives of adult multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are developing as a treatment modality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Given the current national conundrum of decreasing microsurgery case volume performed by hand surgery fellows despite interest, program directors were surveyed to evaluate opinions of exposure gaps in training and to determine the current state of microsurgery training in 2020.
Methods: Anonymous national surveys were distributed to hand surgery fellowship program directors by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Subgroups were compared by training location and size of the fellowship program.