ANESTHETIST EXPERIENCE FOR CLEFT LIP AND CLEFT PALATE REPAIR: A REVIEW OF 172 SMILE TRAIN SPONSORED PATIENTS AT HAYAT ABAD MEDICAL COMPLEX, PESHAWAR

Objective: To evaluate the anesthetist experience of patients undergoing general anesthesia for smile train project for the repair of cleft lip and palate at Hayat Abad Medical complex Peshawar. Material and Methods: This observational study was conducted on 172 patients of Smile Train project undergoing general anesthesia for cleft lip and palate repair from May 2007 to November 2008 at Department of Anesthesia, Post Graduate Medical Institute, Hayat Abad Medical complex, Peshawar. Data regarding patientʹs, anesthetic management and the anesthesia complications was obtained from computer record of the patients. Results: Out of 172 patients, 106 were male and 63 female with the age range of 6 months to 25 years. Out of 172 patients, 5(2.90%) patients went into hypothermia, 2 (1.16 %) patients had difficult intubation, 1 (0.58%) patient had post operative pulmonary edema, 1 (0.58%) patient had respiratory depression and 1 (0.58%) patient developed postoperative significant bleeding requiring reexploration the next day. There was no death. None of the patient received intraopertive blood transfusion. Total of 99 procedures were undertaken in patients with cleft lip (unilateral & bilateral). A total of 58 procedures were undertaken for cleft palate. Remaining 15 were secondary cleft procedures. Conclusion: Anesthesia for cleft lip and palate is associated with frequent complications. Vigilant perioperative anesthetic management reduces the incidence of such complications.