Immediate postoperative evaluation of the surgical wound and nutritional evolution after cheiloplasty.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the nutritional status and behavior of the surgical wound following cheiloplasty.

SETTING

Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo (HRAC/USP), Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-five nursing children aged 3 to 13 months old, either bottle-fed or spoon-fed, submitted to cheiloplasty during the study period.

RESULTS

The results did not demonstrate significant differences between the study groups regarding gender, age, nutritional status, and condition of the surgical wound. Upon completion of the study, the infants of both groups were eutrophic, presenting increase in growth and development, with no hematoma, significant edema, sutural dehiscence, bleeding, or infection at the operated area.

CONCLUSIONS

Both kinds of nursing, spoon- and bottle-feeding, had the same influence on nutritional status and wound condition in both study groups. We suggest that bottle-feeding should be tried in patients in the postoperative period of cheiloplasty, because this method was used after surgery without causing any damage to the lip surgical wound.