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Background There has been a lack of a standardized protocol for collection of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and detection of and indication for psychological treatment in cleft care. The objectives of this paper was to translate Cleft Hearing Appearance and Speech Questionnaire (CHASQ) into eight European languages, to investigate whether levels of PRO in patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) were comparable across countries and to investigate clinician experience of the instrument. Methods The PRO measure-CHASQ-was translated into Bulgarian, Estonian, Greek, Latvian, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbian and Swedish and implemented with patients in the respective countries. A focus group discussion was conducted to investigate health care professional experience on the use of CHASQ in their clinics. Data was analysed in accordance with the principles of thematic analysis. Results Analysis showed statistically significant differences between countries and groups of diagnosis in CHASQ scores. CHASQ helped clinicians gain patient information and informed on treatment decisions, broadened the clinicians' role as caregivers and was perceived as short and easy to use. Limited time and resources in clinics were limitations in implementing the instrument. Conclusions Translation and utilization of CHASQ facilitated international comparison and cooperation. Linguistically, valid replicas of CHASQ are now available in many European languages. Results from this study show that CHASQ may be used for collection of PRO on patient satisfaction and to spark conversation between clinicians, patients and families. Level of evidence: Not rateable.

Objective The aim of this study was to present a measuring tool, in the form of a dual-rating grid, for preoperative appearance and postoperative results in the treatment of labionasal clefts. Methods This study was carried out on 43 children with partial unilateral clefts, operated on using a derivation of Millard's technique. The preoperative initial severity score (ISS) was the sum of points each corresponding to a precise anatomic anomaly. A severe cleft was given a rating of 6, and a mild cleft a rating of 1. The postoperative results score (PRS) was the sum of points corresponding to residual or acquired anatomic anomalies: a good result was given 0.5, and a poor result 3.5. Each score was a mark given separately and agreed on by two surgeons. To compare the rating grids, the correlation between the ISS and the PRS was calculated. Results Twenty-four patients had an ISS less than 5; 19 patients had an IGS more than or equal to 5. Marks for the PRS were between 0.5 and 3.5 with the majority at 1 to 1.5. Conclusion This study demonstrates the coherent connection between these two pre- and postoperative rating grids.

We present a case of reconstruction of the philtrum with a unilateral superiorly-based nasolabial island flap following a secondary Millard's bilateral cheiloplasty in a 23-year-old man with cleft lip and palate. His philtrum consisted of a full-thickness skin graft transplanted at one of his previous operations.

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