Abstract 42. Letting Go Under Control: Resident as Primary Surgeon for a Consecutive, Non-Selective Series of Furlow Palatoplasties

Purpose: Despite sound anatomic rationale, and evidence of clinical effectiveness, some surgeons consider the Furlow procedure technically challenging and difficult to teach - using it only selectively. The 2016 ABPS MoC cleft palate tracer data indicates only 14% of velar repairs achieved using the Furlow technique. To measure the outcomes of a consecutive series of primary Furlow palatoplasties in which plastic surgical residents functioned as primary surgeon for all steps of all procedures under immediate supervision and guidance of the senior surgeon