Grommets Surgery in Children with Orofacial Clefts in England

This study examined grommet insertion practice in the first five years of life among children with a cleft in England. We used data from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) to examine the proportion of children receiving grommets before the age of five, the timing of the first grommet insertion, and the proportion of children having repeat grommet insertions according to cleft type, the absence or presence of additional anomalies, socio-economic deprivation, and region of residence. Of the 8,269 children with a cleft included in the study, 36.5% received grommets before the age of five years. Of these, one third received their grommets at the time of their primary cleft repair and one third received multiple grommet insertion procedures. Children with a cleft affecting the palate were more likely to receive grommets than children with a cleft lip alone (45.5% vs. 4.5%). Grommet insertion practice also varied according to year of birth, absence or presence of additional anomalies, socioeconomic deprivation and region of residence.

Full reference and link: K J Fitzsimons, L P Copley, J H van der Meulen, C Panagamuwa, S A Deacon. Grommet Surgery in Children with Orofacial Clefts in England. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 2017;54(1):80-89.