• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The primary goal of palatoplasty is to enable normal speech with harmonious growth of face. Some children who had palatoplasty display typical findings of transverse maxillary deficiency requiring orthodontic widening of the maxilla. Levi (2009) described a cleft palate repair coupled with pedicled buccal fat pad flaps to cover bone exposed areas of the hard palate. Hence we report clinical experiences of cleft palate repair using pedicled buccal fat pad flap. Methods: Four Veau class II and a Veau class I cleft palate patients underwent palatoplasty with buccal fat pad flap by single surgeon from April 2009 to August 2009. Two patients received 2-flap palatoplasty and three patients 1-flap palatoplasty, respectively. After the cleft palate repair, sharp mosquito scissors was placed in the superior buccal sulcus just lateral to the maxillary tuberosity and inserted directly through the mucosa resulting in buccal fat pad extrusion. The elevated flap was moved to cover mucoperiosteal defect in hard palatal area. Results: Five patients underwent primary palatoplasty using buccal fat pad flap. Flap harvest and inset took on average 9 minutes per flap. Mucosal epithelization took 18 days on average. No patients had complications related to the buccal fat pad flap. Conclusion: Buccal fat pad pedicled flap has significant potential to function as an added vascularized tissue layer in cleft palate repair and we can expect better growth of maxilla with this method although longer duration of follow-up was unavailable.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.263-266
• /
• 2013

Bleeding, is one of the most common postoperative complications after palatoplasty in patients with cleft palate. The purpose of this article is to present our experience using a Foley catheter balloon for perioperative palatoplasty bleeding management. A retrospective data analysis was performed for all cases of palatoplasty performed by the author from 1999 to 2012 that experienced postoperative hemorrhage. These patients were managed by utilizing posterior nasal compression with a Foley catheter balloon for the period 2006 to 2012. We have compared two methods (we use before 2006 the reoperative method) with regards to the later development of palatal fistulae and cases with reoperative hemostasis. The study found no statistically significant differences between the conventional and proposed method in relation to the development of palatal fistulae (P=0.7). These findings suggest that nasal packing using a Foley balloon is a safe and effective method for postoperative bleeding control after palatoplasty in patients with cleft palate.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.105-108
• /
• 2014

A 14-month-old child was diagnosed with a Veau Class II cleft palate. Von Langenbeck palatoplasty was performed for the right palate, and V-Y pushback palatoplasty was performed for the left palate. The child did not have a special problem during the surgery, and the authors were able to elongate the cleft by 10 mm. Contrary to preoperative concerns regarding the hybrid use of palatoplasties, the uvula and midline incisions remained balanced in the middle. The authors named this combination method "half-and-half palatoplasty" and plan to conduct a long-term follow up study as a potential solution that minimizes the complications of palatoplasty.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.375-380
• /
• 2005

Furlow palatoplasty has been favored by many plastic surgeons as the primary treatment for the velopharyngeal insufficiency associated with submucous cleft palate. The purpose of this article is to introduce an efficacy of Furlow palatoplasty and speech therapy performed on patients who were diagnosed belatedly as having submucous cleft palates. From 2002 to 2004, four submucous cleft palate patients over 5 years of age with velopharyngeal insufficiency received Furlow palatoplasty. The patients were evaluated through the preoperative perceptual speech assessment, nasometry, and videonasopharyngoscopy. Postoperatively, two patients achieved competent velopharyngeal function in running speech. One of the remaining two could achieve competent velopharyngeal function with visual biofeedback speech therapy and the other could not use her new velopharyngeal function in running speech because of her age. Speech therapy can correct the articulation errors and thus improve the velopharyngeal function to a certain extent by eliminating some compensatory articulations that might have an adverse influence on velopharyngeal function. This study shows that Furlow palatoplasty can successfully correct the velopharyngeal insufficiency in submucous cleft palate patients and speech therapy has a role in reinforcing surgical result. But age is still a restrictive factor even though surgery was well done.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.748-752
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The goal of palatoplasty is focused on two points. One is to close the palatal defect completely, and the other to create a velopharyngeal system for normal speech. While established methods such as pushback palatoplasty or double opposing Z palatoplasty are used in wide cleft palate repair, sequelae such as maxillary hypoplasia or oronasal fistula may result. Therefore, when palatoplasty with buccinator myomucosal flap is used in the case of wide cleft palates, maxillary hypoplasia and oronasal fistula is reduced and optimal results are obtained. Methods: From October 2005 to December 2006, four children with wide complete cleft palate underwent unilateral buccinator myomucosal flap and intravelar veloplaty. Mean age at cleft repair was 15 months, and mean cleft size was 2.15 cm. The patients underwent intravelar veloplasty and palatoplasty was done using unilateral buccinator myomucosal flap. Results: The patients, after mean 10 months of follow-up observation, showed no signs of oronasal fistula resulting from flap tension. The shape and color similar to normal oral mucosa was obtained, and velopharyngeal function was acquired. Conclusion: When intravelar veloplasty and palatoplasty with unilateral buccinator myomucosal flap is done on wide cleft palates, postoperative speech function is optimal, velopharyngeal incompetence is effectively corrected, and sequelae resulting from pushback palatoplasty and double opposing Z-plasty, such as maxillary hypoplasia and oronasal fistula, is reduced.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.217-222
• /
• 2017

Background The prevalence of flap necrosis after palatoplasty in patients with cleft palate. The prevalence of mucoperiosteal flap necrosis after palatoplasty remains unknown, and this complication is rare. This event is highly undesirable for both the patient and the surgeon. We present here a new scale to evaluate the degree of hypoplasia of the palate and identify patients with cleft palate at high risk for the development of this complication. Methods In this case series, a 20-year retrospective analysis (1994-2014) identified patients from our records (medical records and screening day registries) with nonsyndromic cleft palate who underwent operations at 3 centers. All of these patients underwent operations using 2-flap palatoplasty and also underwent a physical examination with photographs and documentation of the presence of palatal flap necrosis after primary palatoplasty. Results Palatal flap necrosis was observed in 4 cases out of 1,174 palatoplasties performed at these centers. The observed prevalence of palatal flap necrosis in these groups was 0.34%. Conclusions The prevalence of flap necrosis can be reduced by careful preoperative planning, and prevention is possible. The scale proposed here may help to prevent this complication; however, further studies are necessary to validate its utility.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2006

Palatoplasty using Furlow's double-opposing Z-plasty has been performed from June, 1995 to September, 1999 at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. The goal of this study is to determine the optimal timing of repair and cleft severity affecting velopharyngeal function. This is the retrospective study of patients operated by the second author. The mean age of patients was 10.53 months. The patients could be divided into three groups-isolated cleft palate(n=70), unilateral cleft lip and palate(n=88), and bilateral cleft lip and palate(n=42). To evaluate the velopharyngeal function, we used two parameters, speech evaluation and cineofluorography using DSR(digital subtraction radiography). Also, to determine the relevance between cleft severity and speech development, we measured the distance between maxillary tuberosities and cleft margins. Among 200 patients, about 96% had no or minimal hypernasality and 87% had no or mild nasal emission. The cleft width and length of soft palate seemed not to be related with the speech development. Palatoplasty at the age under 12 months resulted in less 'nasal emission' and better 'articulation' of the parameters that were assessed at the age of 7 years. It can be concluded Furlow palatoplasty shows satisfactory results and also it seems that it is better to perform the operation before the age of 12 months.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.81-86
• /
• 2005

Cleft palate patients with congenital anomalies have an increased risk of airway problems following palatoplasty. Factors that were related included presence of associated congenital anomalies, duration of surgery, age at time of surgery, history of previous airway problem, and excessive pressure exerted on the base of the tongue by Dingman retractor. This report described a complication of post-operative Pneumonia after palatoplasty (Furlow technique), which resulted in a life-threatening acute airway obstruction in an infant with cleft palate. Patient has a history of previous mild airway problems. In addition to this problem, we speculate that Furlow technique involves more extensive surgical dissection than other techniques may increase risk for upper airway obstruction. Awareness of this risk permits identifying those patients prior to surgery so that they can be monitored and managed properly, minimizing the likelihood of major complications or possibility of death.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.741-747
• /
• 2007

Purpose: In order to determine the differences in speech outcome based on timing of operation in submucous cleft palate, we have reviewed our experiences in the Furlow palatoplasty over the last 11 years. Methods: From March 1996 to March 2006, 38 submucous cleft palate patients received Furlow palatoplasty. 10 developmentally delayed patients were excluded and 5 patients were lost to follow up. The rest 23 patients were reviewed. Speech was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively, and speech therapy was performed accordingly. Perceptual speech assessment included hypernasality, nasal emission and articulation disorder. Cinefluorography was performed to aid perceptual assessment. Based on timing of operation, the patients were divided into 3 groups as following: Group A under 24 months(8 patients), Group B from 25 to 48 months(6 patients), and Group C over 49 months (9 patients). Except 1 patient under speech therapy yet, resultant speech was compared. 200707Results: The rate of abnormal speech was higher in Group C(3/9, 33.3%) than in Group A(0%) or B(0%). All 3 patients who had been discontinued of speech therapy from the parent's judgment had abnormal speech. The reason for the discontinuation was that the regular speech therapy was a burden at school age. Any patients who had continued speech therapy had normal speech. Conclusion: The results of our study shows that operative timing is associated with speech development. Maintenance of speech therapy was an important factor for normal speech development. It will be helpful to perform a palatoplasty before 48 months of age to complete speech therapy before the school age.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.86-90
• /
• 2018

About one-third of patients with transsphenoidal basal encephaloceles have associated congenital anomalies, including cleft palate. Moreover, they are often plagued by symptomatic exacerbations in the form of upper respiratory obstructions, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, meningitis, etc., with few patients being asymptomatic. We herein present a rare asymptomatic case of transsphenoidal basal encephalocele in an 18-month-old child with cleft palate and highlight a modified version of two-flap palatoplasty.