One-stage cleft repair outcome at age 6- to 18-years -- a comparison to the Eurocleft study data.

The optimisation of the relation between quality of outcome and burden of care is difficult in the treatment of cleft lip and palate. We analysed long-term outcome after one-stage repair of clefts to assess the benefits and limitations of this form of treatment. Thirty-three patients aged 6-18 years who had had lip repair, two-flap palatoplasty, and corticocancellous alveolar bone grafts at 6 months of age were divided into three age groups (6-11, 12-14, and 15-18 years) and compared with mean outcome data from the Eurocleft centres and with cephalometric standards of healthy people.