title: Contemporary management of cleft lip and palate in the United Kingdom. Have we reached the turning point?
abstract: Babies born with clefts of the lip, and the alveolus or palate, or both, require multidisciplinary, highly specialised treatment from birth to early adulthood. We review the contemporary management of clefts and outline the current treatment protocol adopted by cleft networks in the United Kingdom. We also look at the level of evidence and the restructuring of services that has defined current practice. In light of the recent Cleft Care UK study, we ask whether it is now time to adopt a new philosophy towards the surgical techniques that are used.
authors.affiliation: Cleft Unit, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, BS16 1LE, Ben Green, BDS, Kings College, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS. Electronic address: serryth@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Colbert
authors.affiliation: Kings College, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS. Electronic address: ben.c.green@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, PO6 3LY, UK. Electronic address: peter.brennan@porthosp.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Cleft Unit, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, BS16 1LE. Electronic address: nigel.mercer@nbt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mercer
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care; D019091:Critical Pathways; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Alveolus; Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Contemporary management; Review; Surgery.