The Cleft Lip & Palate Team


Infants: > 100 new infants’ referred to the clinic annually.

Patient flow
: 50-60 patients per month

Annual patients visit: average 750 patients

Operations: average of 175 operations annually.

Team leader: Prof. Kust Butow
Bsc, BchD, MChD (in MaxFacOral Surg), DrMedDent, PhD, DSc(odont), FC MFOS
Professor and Head of Department of Maxillofacial and oral surger & Adjunct Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surger, University of North Carolina, USAPatients registered: 3174 patients are currently registered at the clinic

5.6% isolated cleft lip
12.6% cleft lip and alveolus
39.7% cleft lip, alveolus and palate
0.6% had a cleft of hard palate only
16.6% had a cleft of the hard and soft palate
18.5% had cleft of the soft palate only
4.5% had a combination of clefts
Sex ratio: male:1699 female: 1475
Population groups: Whites 2124, Black: 868, Coloureds: 84, Indian: 84, Asian: 9
Positive family history: 27.9%
Associated Syndromes: 26.2%
– 6.2% Fairbain Robin
– 1.3% Demarque-van der Woude
– 0.7% Holoprosencephaly sequence
– Tessier clefts were found in 45 cases
Facial clefting were observed in 88 twin pregnancies of which 7 sets both twins were affected.
2.5% of registered patients do not have facial cleft but present with other defects i.e. speech problems and high palate)

Research Potential:
– New designs and creations: 13
– Refereed publications: 29
– Non-referred publications: 66
– Popular scientific publications: 5
– Book published in USA: 1
– International presentations: 41
– National presentations > 100

Founded : August 1983

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