title: Palatoplasty decreases the re-insertion rate of middle ear ventilation tube in cleft palate children - A population-based birth cohort study.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Palatoplasty can significantly decrease their middle ear re-intubation rate with a relatively lower hazard ratio compared to children who underwent VTI only.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In children with cleft palate, questions remain about the overall effect of ventilation tube insertion (VTI) and palatoplasty for their OME. A large-scale study might offer more evidence for the roles of palatal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective birth cohort study based upon a national database. We analyzed children born between 1999-2004 and diagnosed as cleft palate and/or lips. These children, according to their surgeries, were separated into two groups: (1) VTI only, and (2) VTI and palatoplasty. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to calculate their cumulative tube re-insertion rates. Their hazard ratios of tube re-insertion were also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 1205 cleft children were collected, with 151 in the VTI only group and 1054 in the VTI + palatoplasty group. Ventilation tube re-insertion rates were significantly lower in the VTI + palatoplasty group (p = 0.002). The cumulative re-insertion rates also showed a significant difference (p = 0.001). When compared to the VTI only group, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.528 in the VTI + palatoplasty group (p = 0.001).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ;|b School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan ;|c Department of Otolaryngology , National Yang-Ming University Hospital , Yilan , Taiwan ;
authors.forename: Chii-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: d Department of Otolaryngology , Taipei City Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ;|f College of Science and Engineering , and Graduate School of Business Administration, Fu-Jen Catholic University , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuan-Song
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: e School of Health Care Administration, Taipei Medical University , Taipei , Taiwan ;
authors.forename: Chao-Hsiun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ;|b School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan ;
authors.forename: Mao-Che
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ;
authors.forename: Ting-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan ;|b School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan ;
authors.forename: Tzong-Yang
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tu
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Palatoplasty; cleft palate; otitis media with effusion; ventilation tube insertion