title: Starting a cleft team: a primer.
abstract: Facial plastic surgeons have a comprehensive understanding of the challenges that patients with cleft lip and palate encounter in form and function. Because there are areas in the United States where access to cleft care is limited, opportunities exist for facial plastic surgeons to develop cleft teams to provide greater availability of services to patients. A consensus statement has been developed by the Cleft and Craniofacial Subcommittee of the Specialty Surgery Committee of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery that outlines strategies for facial plastic surgeons who are prepared to assume leadership roles in domestic multidisciplinary cleft team initiatives.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Greater Baltimore Cleft Lip and Palate Team, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 6535 North Charles Street, Suite 220, Baltimore, MD 21204, USA. Electronic address: rcapone@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Randolph B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Capone
authors.affiliation: The Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Greater Brooklyn Cleft and Craniofacial Team, The State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
authors.forename: Sydney C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Butts
authors.affiliation: The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic, The Henry Ford Health System, 2799 West Grant Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Lamont R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States
keywords: Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Craniofacial anomaly; Facial plastic surgery; Multidisciplinary cleft team