Age at primary surgery among orofacial cleft individuals in Indonesia

• Published in: Orthodontics & craniofacial research Vol. 27; no. S1; pp. 62 - 69
• Main Authors: Sarilita, Erli, Rafisa, Anggun, Desai, Priya, Mossey, Peter A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age; Age Factors; Child; Child, Preschool; cleft lip; Cleft Lip - surgery; cleft palate; Cleft Palate - surgery; Female; health services; Humans; Indonesia; Infant; Lip; Male; Medical records; Orofacial clefts; Patients; Retrospective Studies; Statistical analysis; Surgery; Indonesia; cleft lip; cleft palate; health services; age; surgery
• ISSN: 1601-6335; 1601-6343
• DOI: 10.1111/ocr.12751

Objectives To observe the age at primary cleft surgery among charity organizations such as Smile Train in helping Indonesia manage patients with OFC. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted to identify patients with orofacial clefts who underwent primary surgery between 2001 and 2021. The age at the time of surgery was recorded for each patient. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and determine the average age at primary surgery. Results In the period between 2001 and 2021, a total of 34 239 individuals in Indonesia underwent primary lip surgery, while 16 768 individuals received primary palatal surgery, as recorded in the Smile Train database. Notably, a significant proportion of these surgeries were classified as delayed primary repairs. Approximately 65.3% of primary lip surgeries were performed beyond the recommended timeline of 6 months of age, indicating a delay in the surgical intervention. Similarly, 67% of primary palatal surgeries were also delayed, occurring after the recommended timeline of 18 months of life. Conclusions This study provides insights into the age at primary surgery among individuals with orofacial clefts in Indonesia. The findings highlight the need for timely intervention and the importance of considering individualized treatment plans based on the specific type of orofacial cleft. Further research is warranted to explore factors influencing the age at primary surgery and their impact on treatment outcomes and long‐term functional outcomes in this population.