No. of Cases Seen in a Year

  • Total Referrals: 90
  • Unilateral (one sided) cleft lip only: 50
  • Bilateral (Two sided) cleft lip only: 20
  • Cleft palate only: 10

Treatment Funded by State for National Residents

  • Surgery costs: All
  • Speech and Language Therapy costs: All
  • Orthodontic costs: All

Comment on the service provision:

In Italy all the cost are provided by the NHS.

However families can decide if they want to go to a private practice.

Primary surgical protocol


Cleft Lip Repair:

  • Timing: 2.5 - 3 months
  • Type of operation: Modified Tennison technique

Bilateral Cleft Lip Repair:

  • Timing: 2.5 - 3 months
  • Type of operation: Mulliken technique

Cleft Palate Repair:

  • Timing: 6 months
  • Type of operation: Bardach technique

Record collection protocol


Are records routinely collected at specific ages? Yes

Does this conform to WHO recommendations for different cleft types? Yes

Research

Want to particpate in research? yes

Participation in inter-centre studies?

Current Research

Type(s) of software used: Excel and Word.
Published research papers: Yes
Details of publications: Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg. 2010 Apr;44(2):88-95. doi: 10.3109/02844310903569378.
Effect of lip adhesion on maxillary arch alignment and reduction of a cleft’s width before definitive cheilognathoplasty in unilateral and bilateral complete cleft lip.
Gatti GL1, Lazzeri D, Romeo G, Balmelli B, Massei A.Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2009 Nov;46(6):621-8. doi: 10.1597/08-085.1. Epub 2009 May 16.
Bone regeneration and periosteoplasty: a 250-year-long history.
Lazzeri D1, Gatti GL, Romeo G, Balmelli B, Massei A.Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2008 Nov;45(6):587-91. doi: 10.1597/07-026.1. Epub 2007 Aug 21.Dystrophic-like alterations characterize orbicularis oris and palatopharyngeal muscles in patients affected by cleft lip and palate.
Lazzeri D1, Viacava P, Pollina LE, Sansevero S, Lorenzetti F, Balmelli B, Funel N, Gatti GL, Naccarato AG, Massei A.Thyroid. 2004 Aug;14(8):584-8.
Genetic analysis of TTF-2 gene in children with congenital hypothyroidism and cleft palate, congenital hypothyroidism, or isolated cleft palate.
Tonacchera M1, Banco M, Lapi P, Di Cosmo C, Perri A, Montanelli L, Moschini L, Gatti G, Gandini D, Massei A, Agretti P, De Marco G, Vitti P, Chiovato L, Pinchera A.
Willing to share Powerpoint presentations: Yes

Clinical research activities interested in being involved in:

Randomised clinical trials: Yes
Inter-centre comparison of outcome: Yes
Prospective study: Yes
DNA collection: Yes




Clinical research

Clinical team members who are or would like to be involved in clinical research:
Member details: we would be happy to be involved in inter-centre comparisons, cohort studies, clinical trials.

Gian Luca Gatti - plastic surgeon
Alessandro Giacomina - plastic surgeon
Luca Rosato - plastic surgeon
Beate Kuppers - anesthesiologist
Sara Bigagli - orthodontist

Potential laboratory based research activities

Laboratory based research activities interested in being involved in:
Laboratory genetics/genomics research: Yes
Animal models research: Yes