Long-term evidence for favorable midfacial growth after delayed hard palate repair in UCLP patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether delayed hard palate repair resulted in better midfacial growth in the long term than previously achieved with "conventional" surgical methods of palatal closure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Long-term cephalometric data from patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were available from two Scandinavian cleft centers. The patients had been treated by different regimens, particularly regarding the method and timing of palatal surgery. Patients were analyzed retrospectively, and one investigator digitized all radiographs. PATIENTS: Thirty consecutively treated subjects from each center, with cephalograms taken at three comparable stages between 10 and 16 years of age. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Patients whose hard palates were repaired late (early soft palate closure followed by delayed hard palate repair at the stage of mixed dentition) had significantly better midfacial development than patients in whom the hard palate was operated on early with a vomer flap, and then during the second year of life, the soft palate was repaired with a push-back procedure. As the growth advantage in the delayed hard palate repair group was accomplished without impeding long-term speech development, the delayed repair regimen proved to be a good alternative in surgical treatment of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.     

Prosthetic treatment by pushing back part of the hard palate in third-degree cleft palate

In the third degree of cleft palate, the palate bones are short, the cleft is wide, the degree of palatal tissue atrophy and the anterior displacement of the muscles are great. It is difficult to repair satisfactorily. We carried out a treatment plan by pushing the soft palate and posterior part of the palatal bone fully back to the physiological closure position by surgical means without cutting through the palatal aponeurosis. By using a palatal plate with pharyngeal prong immediately after operation to fix the composite flap posteriorly and restore the defect of the hard palate. The palatal palate is changed with a silicon obturator or performed secondary operation to repair the perforation of the hard palate after the primary wound is well healed. 24 cases have been performed by this means since 1984. The outcomes are good. It is well conditioned for surgical orthodontics of severe crossbite which results from undeveloped maxilla also.     

A salvage procedure in cleft palate repair: suturing nasal mucosa directly to palatine process.

OBJECTIVE: Palatal fistulas are among the complications of cleft palate repair requiring additional surgery. Suturing the nasal mucosa and mucoperiosteal flaps together in a tension-free manner to create a double-layered closure in the hard palate is one of the most important points in prevention of dehiscence and fistula formation. In this report, we describe a salvage procedure to repair nasal mucosa that might be lacerated while being freed from the upper surface of the palatal process. METHOD: To restore the nasal lining, an ipsilateral vomer mucoperiosteal flap or the opposite nasal mucosa flap is advanced to the palatine bone and sutured directly to the palatal process in order to guarantee an intact cleft palate repair. RESULTS: This method is an easy, simple, and time-saving procedure. It should be a useful addition to the armamentarium of every plastic surgeon, especially those working as consultants in training units.     

腭帆提肌重建联合咽后壁瓣术在先天性腭裂中的临床应用

目的　探讨腭帆提肌重建联合咽后壁瓣术在先天性腭裂中的临床应用。方法　采用腭帆提肌重建联合咽后壁瓣术,共修补47例先天性腭裂患者,其中单侧完全性腭裂21例,不完全性腭裂26例。结果　所有患者均一期愈合,未出现腭瘘,随诊1~3年,语音清晰度满意。结论　腭帆提肌重建联合咽后壁瓣术较好地恢复了腭帆提肌正常的解剖结构和位置,获得了良好的腭咽闭合,并有效地降低了术后腭瘘的发生率,是一种值得推荐的功能性腭裂修复方法。     

裂隙顶端黏膜瓣在宽大型Ⅱ度腭裂修复中的应用

目的探讨在裂隙宽大的Ⅱ度腭裂修复术中，利用裂隙顶端口腔黏膜瓣修复鼻侧黏膜、降低缝合后张力的术式的临床应用效果。方法选择27例宽大型Ⅱ度腭裂患者为研究对象，在常规两瓣法的基础上，将裂隙顶端三角形口腔黏膜瓣翻转，与两侧鼻侧黏膜缝合修复裂隙宽大的Ⅱ度腭裂鼻侧黏膜。结果27例患者均手术顺利，术后无活动性出血、呼吸道阻塞及伤口感染发生。随访1～3个月，伤口愈合良好，无伤口裂开及腭漏发生，上腭瘢痕不明显。结论应用裂隙顶端口腔黏膜瓣修复宽大型Ⅱ度腭裂鼻侧黏膜，可以降低鼻侧黏膜缝合时的张力，相应增加两侧黏骨膜瓣宽度，降低术后腭漏的发生及减轻腭部瘢痕的形成。     

The square flap method for cleft palate repair.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new surgical technique for repair of cleft palate using the square flap method. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The procedure was performed from 1995 to 2004 in 21 males and 16 females with cleft palates of different types; the patients had a median age of 6.0 years and an average age of 9.4 years (range from 22 months to 23 years). In these patients, the square flap method, consisting of one rhombic flap and four triangular flaps, designed on the soft palate across the defect, was applied to the von Langenbeck procedure. After incisions, the flaps were rotated and advanced, and each flap was inserted into the opposite side and then sutured. The patients were followed from 6 months to 2 years, the velopharyngeal closure was examined by nasopharyngeal fiberscope and/ or x-ray radiography, and a clinical speech evaluation was performed. RESULTS: In all cases, no problem of flap viability was encountered and all healed well. The postoperative results were satisfactory without any complications such as dehiscence, perforation, palatal fistula, or functional disturbance. The velopharyngeal closure and clinical speech evaluation were satisfactory, and the effects of the operation were stable. CONCLUSIONS: The technique presented has been effective, with the advantages of palatal closure without tension, good muscular reconstruction, and sufficient lengthening of the soft palate.     

先天性腭裂幼儿期手术修复安全性和疗效分析

目的探讨先天性腭裂幼儿期手术的安全性和修复效果，促进幼儿期腭裂手术的推广。方法根据不同腭裂类型选择不同的术式，对950例先天性腭裂幼儿期患者手术的安全性和修复效果进行回顾性分析。结果932例伤口一期愈合，2例术后伤口二期愈合，16例术后穿孔。随访556例，术后发音效果优良439例（78．9％），发音效果中等91例（16．4％），发音效果差26例（4．7％）。结论先天性腭裂早期修复，可尽早恢复患儿腭部的正常形态，为早期语音训练提供条件，使患儿语音明显改善或恢复。掌握好适应证，腭裂幼儿期手术是安全可行的。     

Development of the residual cleft in the hard palate after velar repair in a 2-stage palatal repair regimen

Delayed closure of the hard palate is believed to improve maxillary growth and facial appearance in cleft lip and palate patients. However, the cleft opening in the hard palate after velar closure might impair speech development. The aim of this investigation was to study the development of the residual cleft in the hard palate after 2-stage palatal repair (TSPR) in children born with complete cleft lip and palate (bilateral [BCLP]; n=7 or unilateral [UCLP]; n=22) or isolated cleft palate (CP; n=9). Moreover, we aimed to investigate whether any morphologic factors before surgery might predict development of the residual cleft. Dental casts obtained prior to velar repair (mean age 7 months) and postoperatively at 1 1/2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 years were analyzed with a Reflex Microscope regarding the width, length and area of the cleft in the hard palate.The palatal cleft varied in size both pre- and postoperatively in all 3 types of cleft patients. The width of the cleft in the UCLP subgroup showed a marked reduction immediately after velar repair, but then, on average, remained stable until final surgical closure of the hard palate. In the BCLP subgroup the initially rather narrow width of the clefts remained unchanged postoperatively. Clefts in the CP subgroup, especially in those with a complete cleft, remained large after veloplasty. In 4 of the UCLP and 2 of the BCLP patients, the cleft width increased gradually. In some other subjects, both in the UCLP and BCLP subgroups, the residual cleft closed functionally with time, but this development could not be foreseen.     

Craniofacial morphological outcome following treatment with three different surgical protocols for complete unilateral cleft lip and palate: a premilinary study

This study compared craniofacial morphology between three groups of children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, treated with different surgical protocols. The study included 66 10-year-old children (42 boys and 20 girls) with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (22 patients in each of the three groups). Children aged 7 months underwent one-stage surgery, performed by a single surgeon. During surgery, the soft and hard palate and the lip underwent correction. The difference between the groups depended on the hard palate closure. Group I patients had the mucoperiosteal flap elevated on both sides of the cleft. Group II patients had the mucoperiosteal flap elevated on the non-cleft side, and had only a minimal 2–3 mm mucoperiosteal flap elevated on the cleft side. Group III patients had mucoperiostium elevated from the septum vomer to create a single-layered caudally pedicled flap, and had only a minimal 2–3 mm palatal flap elevated on the cleft side. Craniofacial morphology was defined using lateral cephalometric analysis. Significant craniofacial morphological differences were identified between groups I, II and III. Group III demonstrated the most favourable morphology. This indicates that the technique of hard palate closure has significant influence on craniofacial growth and development.     

Two-stage palatoplasty using a modified Furlow procedure

A two-stage palatal repair using a modification of Furlow palatoplasty is presented. The authors investigate the speech outcome, fistula formation and maxillary growth. In a prospective, successive cohort study, 40 nonsyndromic patients with wide cleft palate were operated on between March 2001 and June 2006 by a single surgeon. 10 patients in the first cohort underwent a Furlow palatoplasty (control group). In 30 patients in the second cohort a unilateral myomucosal cheek flap was used in combination with a modified Furlow palatoplasty (study group). The hard palate was closed in both groups 9–12 months later. The Bzoch speech quality score was superior in the study group, and the hypernasality was significantly reduced in the study group. Overall fistula formation was 0%. At the time of hard palate reconstruction palatal cleft width was significantly reduced. Relative short-term follow up of maxillary growth was excellent. There were no postoperative haematomas, infections, or episodes of airway obstruction. This technique is particularly encouraging, because of better speech outcome, absence of raw surfaces on the soft palate, no fistula formation, and good maxillary growth. Further follow-up is necessary to determine the long-term effects on facial development.     

Elongated pharyngeal flap in extensive clefts of the hard and soft palate

In some cases of extensive palatal defects surgical closure may be regarded as unfeasible, and the condition treated with an obturator prosthesis. In such a case the cleft can be closed in one operation by means of a pharyngeal flap elongated through a pharyngotomy according to Bengt Johanson (1966). Eleven patients who had used obturators were operated on between 1957 and 1978. The mean age of the patients was 39 years. All patients were cleft lip and palate or cleft palate cases; two unilateral, five bilateral, and four with an isolated cleft palate. In most of these patients a temporary tracheostomy was performed after which the pharynx was opened through a neck incision. A flap was created which reached the alveolar ridge. For oral closure, mucoperiosteal flaps were used. Anterior palatal fistulas developed in two cases; one closed spontaneously and the other remained as a 3-mm fistula behind the alveolar ridge. Three patients had postoperative transient dysphagia. Phoniatric evaluation showed that two patients had better speech after operation than before with an obturator. Gross speech improvement at this late age should not be expected and is not the primary goal of the procedure. The aim of surgical closure with an elongated pharyngeal flap is to replace the obturator.     

Long-term outcome analysis of two treatment methods for cleft palate: combined levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap versus double-opposing Z-plasty.

OBJECTIVE: Two surgical techniques for repair of a cleft palate include levator retropositioning in combination with a pharyngeal flap and the Furlow double-opposing Z-plasty. This study compared morbidity and speech results from the use of these two methods in an effort to determine which was the superior technique. DESIGN: Patient records from 1986 to 1996 were retrospectively reviewed, and 10 patients with a cleft palate who underwent repair with a levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap were compared to 14 patients who underwent a double-opposing Z-plasty repair. Postoperative complications including fistula formation, obstructive sleep apnea, and residual velopharyngeal insufficiency were recorded. Speech was assessed perceptually and through the use of nasometry. RESULTS: Both surgical techniques resulted in good speech in the majority of patients. Only two patients in the study, both in the Z-plasty group, had severe postoperative hypernasality. Two patients in the levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap group developed severe postoperative obstructive sleep apnea, requiring additional surgery. CONCLUSION: The levator retropositioning and pharyngeal flap technique was successful in achieving good speech results, but it also caused more serious postoperative complications when compared to the double-opposing Z-plasty technique.     

Effects of palatine bone denudation repair with periosteal graft on maxillary growth: An experimental study in rats

BackgroundThe long-term goal of cleft palate repair is to provide normal maxillary growth and speech capacity. However, most surgical repairs of cleft palate result in areas of bone denudation on lateral aspects of the hard palate. It is widely acknowledged that palatal bone denudation and subsequent scar contracture resulting from cleft palate surgery can inhibit maxillary growth.MethodThis study is designed to investigate the effect of the periosteum on growth patterns of the maxilla. A total of 32 three-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group and three experimental groups: a mucosa excision group, a mucosa-periosteum excision group and a periosteal graft group. Nine weeks postoperatively the skulls were prepared for study and palatal widths and lengths were determined. The experimental groups were investigated for various histological changes.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference for the maxillary measurements (palatal width and length) between the mucosa excision group and the periosteal graft group when compared with the control group. However, the mucosa-periosteum excision group compared to the control indicated a statistically significant decrease in the same measurements. There was also a statistically significant difference for the maxillary measurements between the periosteal graft group and the mucosa-periosteum excision group.It was demonstrated histologically that the density of the Sharpey's fibres and periodontal scar tissue showed a slight increase in the mucosa excision group and the periosteal graft group compared with the control group. In the mucosa-periosteum excision group, the density increased significantly as expected.ConclusionsAll of these findings testify that retaining the periosteum or replacement with a periosteum graft after surgery can prevent the inhibition of maxillary growth.     

The buccal flap--a useful technique in cleft palate repair?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate speech quality and oronasal fistula after primary palate repair using a buccal mucosal flap. DESIGN: Retrospective study cohort of patients with cleft palate. SETTING: Primary care center for treatment of craniofacial congenital anomalies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred fifty-six nonsyndromic patients underwent palatoplasty with the buccal myomucosal flap by the senior surgeon between 1989 and 2002. The preoperative workup, surgical technique, and other factors that might affect the outcome were identical in every case. Oronasal fistula and variables affecting speech quality were analyzed. RESULTS: The most common type of cleft was unilateral cleft lip and palate (43.5%). The median follow-up was 5.8 years (0.4 to 21 years), and the median age at repair was 6.2 months. The overall fistula formation was 3.6%, decreasing progressively: 1989 to 1994: 2.9%, 1995 to 2002: 0.7% (p <.05). Velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) occurred in 8.8% of the patients, decreasing from 5.3% to 3.5% in the last years. VPI and oronasal fistulae were observed mainly in unilateral and bilateral clefts of the lip and palate. Velopharyngeal adequacy occurred in 91.1% of the children, and resonance was normal in 91.1 %. None of the patients had severe hypernasality or hyponasality. Articulation was normal in 97.9% of the children. Speech quality was good in 89% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The technique presented has been effective, with the advantages of palatal closure without tension, good muscular reconstruction, lengthening of the nasal layer, and palatal closure without raw areas. The technique, early repair, and surgeon's skills were the most important variables for good outcomes regarding speech and fistula formation.     

Dental Arches and Occlusion in Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Patients after Two Different Routines for Palatal Surgery

Background: Delayed hard palate repair (DHPR) is believed by many researchers to improve maxillary growth and facial appearance in patients born with cleft lip and palate. However, only few studies dealing with the midfacial growth outcome after this type of surgery in bilateral cleft patients have been published. Patients and Method: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare long-term results of maxillary morphology, dental arches and occlusion in two groups of patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate. The palatal surgery differed between the two groups, particularly with respect to the timing of hard palate repair. The DHPR group (n=16) underwent soft palate closure at 12 months and hard palate repair at around 8 years, whereas the early palatal repair group (EPR) (n=12) had completed two-stage palatal closure during the first year of life. These latter subjects had undergone more traditional palatal surgery with vomer flaps for repair of the anterior part and push-back closure for the posterior part of the cleft. Surgery was performed in both groups by the same surgical team at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. Dental casts were used to analyze the pre- and postoperative maxillary morphology, dental arch dimensions, and occlusion of both samples, which were followed longitudinally from infancy to early adulthood. Results: Differences recorded in both maxillary growth and occlusion were generally in favor of the DHPR group. However, major intragroup variations and relatively small sample sizes precluded statistical verification of the differences, except for development during the early stages.     

腭帆提肌重建联合岛状颊黏膜肌瓣在先天性腭裂中的应用

目的:探讨一种对上颌骨发育影响较小且具有良好腭咽闭合功能的腭裂修补术的临床应用。方法:采用腭帆提肌重建联合岛状颊黏膜肌瓣术,共修补37例腭裂患者。结果:所有患者均一期愈合,随诊1～3年,语音清晰度满意,无腭瘘发生。结论:腭帆提肌重建联合岛状颊黏膜肌瓣术较好地恢复了腭帆提肌正常的解剖结构和位置,获得了良好的腭咽闭合,有效降低了腭瘘的发生率,是一种值得推荐的功能性腭裂修复术。     

Caudally-based single-layer septum-vomer flap for cleft palate closure

The surgical technique using a single-layer caudally-based septum-vomer flap for cleft palate surgery, especially for unilateral cleft lip and palate cases, is described and introduced in this paper. The advantages and disadvantages of this primary technique are discussed and compared with other types of vomer-flap closures for the hard palate. Additionally, a lip flap, for anterior nasal floor closure, is introduced for the uninterrupted closure of the cleft of the premaxilla and palate.     

Hard palate-repair technique and facial growth in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic review

The vomer flap technique for repair of the hard palate is assumed to improve maxillary growth because it causes less scarring in growth-sensitive areas of the palate. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of techniques using the vomer flap compared with the palatal flap on facial growth in patients with cleft lip and palate. All papers published before 21 July 2012 were sought in the databases PubMed and MEDLINE. Search terms included “facial growth”, “cleft lip and palate”, “palatal repair technique”, and “vomer flap”. Additional studies were identified by hand searching the reference lists of the papers retrieved from the electronic search. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of studies for inclusion, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of the methods. Six studies met the selection criteria. Outcomes assessed in 4 studies were dentofacial morphology after vomer or palatal flap, maxillary dental arch in 1 study, and dental arch relations in 2 studies. The quality of the methods used in 3 studies was poor. Contradictory results and a lack of high-quality and long-term outcomes of reviewed studies provided no conclusive scientific evidence about whether the vomer flap technique has more or less of an adverse effect on maxillary growth than the palatal flap. Further well-designed, well-controlled, and long-term studies particularly of the vomer flap (2-stage) and palatal flap (von Langenbeck or two-flap, 1-stage) are needed.     

Reconstruction of palatal defect using mucoperiosteal hinge flap and pushback palatoplasty.

This article describes a simple, new surgical technique to provide a complete two-layer closure of palatal defect resulting from a surgical complication of trans palatal resection of skull base chordoma. The nasal layer was reconstructed with triangular shape oral mucoperiosteal turn over hinge flap based on anterior margin of palatal defect and rectangular shaped lateral nasal mucosal hinge flaps. The oral layer was reconstructed with conventional pushback V-Y advancement 2-flaps palatoplasty. Each layer of the flaps were secured with two key mattress suture for flap coaptation. This technique has some advantages: simple, short operation time, one-stage procedure, no need of osteotomy. It can close small- to medium-sized palatal defect of palate or wide cleft palate and can prevent common complication of oronasal fistula, which could be caused by tension.     

Malformation of the vomer in submucous cleft palate.

BACKGROUND: Several criteria are described in the literature to diagnose a submucous cleft palate. Commonly the differences in the extent of the submucous cleft will not be as overt as in open clefts. Nevertheless, complete submucous cleft palate may cause imperfect palato-pharyngeal closure so that the affected person needs to undergo speech training and surgical treatment. PATIENTS: We investigated 30 patients who underwent palatal repair to correct this disorder. They were evaluated according to the Koch's documentation system. RESULTS: In all patients an additional malformation of the inner nose was found: The vomer was not fused with the palatal shelves. There were different degrees of severity of this vomerine malformation and they were not necessarily correlated with the extent of the palatal cleft. CONCLUSION: In our opinion, this malformation of the vomer should be seen as a typical symptom of classical submucous cleft palate. Discussion is needed on how the vomerine malformation should be incorporated into the surgical procedure. Since we know from septal surgery that a basal septal perforation will lead to disturbances of nasal breathing.