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Persistent Opioid Use Among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults After Common Cleft Operations

  • 4% of patients who undergo cleft-related surgery continue using opioids following surgery, compared with 0.1% of nonsurgical patients.
  • Patients undergoing distractor placement have higher rates of opioid use three months after surgery.
  • New persistent opioid use occurs after cleft-related procedures and can lead to chronic use in children, adolescents, and young adults.


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Bennett KG, Harbaugh CM, Hu HM, et al. Persistent Opioid Use Among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults After Common Cleft Operations. J Craniofac Surg. 2018;29(7):1697-1701. doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000004762