Managing cleft lip and palate

Editorial proves controversial

EDITOR,--In their two year Medline search for studies on the results of cleft surgery Tony Markus and Peter Ward Booth found just one British study, and they criticise the lack of British studies.1 Six studies on primary and secondary surgery and outcome analysis are noteworthy,2 3 4 5 6 7 as is a book on speech.8

Citing just the Eurocleft study, which included two British centres, Markus and Ward Booth state that British results are poor. This is not true in other British studies.9 10 The authors neglect to mention that the two centres with the best results in the …