Postoperative Daycare as a Safe and Cost-Effective Option for Secondary Alveolar Bone Graft (SABG) Surgery: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting (SABG) in patients treated either in daycare or with multiple day hospitalization (MDH) in relation to costs and complication rates. Design: Retrospective comparative cohort study. Setting: The data was collected from two settings: Postoperative daycare or MDH after oral cleft surgery in an Academic Medical Center in The Netherlands. Patients: Data of 137 patients with unilateral Cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (CLAP) treated between 2006-2018 were evaluated. Registered clinical variables: age, gender, cleft subtype, bone donor site, type of hospitalization, length of stay, additional surgery, complications, surgeons, and costs. Interventions: Closure of the alveolar cleft with/without closure of the anterior palate. Main outcome measures: Univariate analyses. Results: Of the 137 patients, 46.7% were treated in MDH, and 53.3% in daycare. Total costs for daycare were significantly lower (P <.001). All patients treated in daycare received mandibular symphysis bone, whereas in MDH, 46.9% received iliac crest bone instead. Bone donor site was associated with postoperative care type. Complication rates were slightly but not significantly higher in daycare (26%) vs. MDH (14.1%) (P =.09). Most were Grade I (minor) according to Clavien Dindo classification. Conclusions: Daycare after alveolar cleft surgery is about as safe as MDH, but significantly cheaper.