Fifty years of the Cleft Centre in Bratislava.

In our paper, we would like to present and analyse the activities in the Cleft Centre in Bratislava between 1952 and 2001. We document the gradual development of the complex treatment and the important changes in the usage of the operative techniques and in the primary and secondary operations timing, as well as the application of the new trends in the field of plastic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, anaesthesiology, orthodontics, speech therapy, paediatrics, human genetics and psychology.

Restoration of upper extremity function after peripheral nerve injuries.

These days injuries to the peripheral nerves of the upper extremity that necessitate total or partial lesion are very common in the household and working environment. With regard to the majority of these injuries, not only plastic surgeons or neurosurgeons must have knowledge of their correct treatment, but general surgeons as well. The principles of reconstruction of the peripheral nerves of the upper extremity are described.

New trends in the complex treatment in the Cleft Centre in Bratislava.

The last decade of the second millennium has brought some major changes into the concept of comprehensive treatment of the cleft lip and palate patients commonly accepted by the cleft center in Bratislava. Important events occurred, which surely had and in future they probably still would have an important impact on the comprehensive medical care of children with cleft lip and palate. There is beyond any doubt that an ongoing application of new trends in such fields as plastic surgery, anesthesiology, maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, phonetics, speech therapy, paediatrics, human genetics or teratology will contribute to the progress and improvement of functional and aesthetic results and to better social adaptation of the cleft lip and palate patients.

[Hernias in the abdominal wall].

The authors emphasize the relapse frequency of the front abdominal wall hernias. Umbilical hernias, epigastric hernias, hernias in postoperative scars, as well as diastases of m. rectus abdominis are still not appropriately evaluated problem in surgery.