title: Outcomes of Primary Unilateral Cheiloplasty in Same-Day Surgical Settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Financial, clinical, and psychological considerations have made same-day surgery an attractive option for a variety of procedures. This article aimed to analyse the postoperative results of same-day primary unilateral cleft nasolabial repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed from 2011 to 2014. Unilateral cleft lip patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were preoperatively classified as mild, moderate, and severe. All patients underwent same-day surgery and were discharged after satisfying the appropriate clinical criteria, receiving thorough counselling, and the establishment of a means of communication by phone. Postoperative outcomes were assessed and stratified according to preoperative severity and the type of repair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 423 primary unilateral cleft lip patients were included. Fisher's anatomical subunit approximation technique was the most common procedure, followed by Noordhoff's technique. The postoperative outcome was good in 89.8% of cases, fair in 9.9% of cases, and poor in 0.2% of cases. The complication rate was 1.18% (n=5), and no instances of mortality were observed. The average hospital stay was 7.5 hours, leading to a cost reduction of 19% in comparison with patients who stayed overnight for observation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild unilateral cleft lip was the most common deformity for which Fisher's anatomical subunit approximation technique was performed in most of the cases, with satisfactory postoperative outcomes. Refinements in the cleft rhinoplasty techniques over the course of the study improved the results regarding cleft nasal symmetry. Single-day primary unilateral cleft cheiloplasty was found to be a cost-effective procedure that did not pose an additional risk of complications.
authors.affiliation: Plastic and Burn Surgery Unit, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mansoor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hidayat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.affiliation: Plastic and Burn Surgery Unit, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.affiliation: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahir
keywords: Cleft lip; Day care; Rhinoplasty