Perioperative Complications Associated with Primary Palatoplasty: Identifying Risk Factors and Their Influence on Increased Healthcare Needs in a Multicenter Study

To determine the current rate of perioperative adverse events in patients undergoing palatoplasty and identify associated risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent primary palatoplasty between July 2014 and January 2020 at two academic children's hospitals.
Data Collection: Data obtained from medical records and entered into Redcap by trained research assistants.
Statistical Analysis: Logistic regression used to determine associations between perioperative adverse events and various risk factors.

15% of 459 patients experienced a single perioperative adverse event, while 3.9% experienced multiple events.
Hypoxemia was the most common adverse event (9.2%), followed by upper airway obstruction (6.3%) and vomiting concerning for aspiration (2.4%).
Risk factors associated with adverse events included ASA physical status > 2, other anatomic airway abnormalities, and history of obstructive sleep apnea.

Identifying risk factors could lead to improved risk stratification and care pathway optimization for patients undergoing palatoplasty.

['The study highlights the incidence of perioperative adverse events in palatoplasty and identifies key risk factors.']