Predictors of surgical outcomes for limited palatal muscle resection in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: Limited palatal muscle resection (LPMR) is a modified palatal surgical technique to correct retropalatal obstruction without complications. This study aims to determine the associated factors affecting the success and cure rate of LPMR in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), thus guiding patient selection and improving surgical outcome. METHODS: Thirty-five OSA patients underwent LPMR were enrolled. All patients received routine physical examination, preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), and polysomnography (PSG). Clinical, polysomnographic, cephalometric variables, and DISE findings were evaluated. These measurements were compared between the surgical success and failure group based on the results of preoperative and postoperative PSG. Furthermore, we compared the cured and non-cured groups in the surgical success group. RESULTS: Among 35 patients, the overall success rate was 57 % with a cure rate of 31.4 %. Patients with Friedman stage II had a significantly higher success rate (p = 0.032). According to DISE results, tongue base obstruction affected the surgical outcome (p < 0.001). The success rate was 100 % in the no tongue base obstruction during DISE, 72.2 % in the partial obstruction, and 9.1 % in the total obstruction. Tonsil size is also helpful in predicting surgical success rate (p = 0.041). Furthermore, patients with mild AHI were more likely to be surgical cures. when compared with patients with severe AHI (p = 0.044). CONCLUSION: Patients with larger tonsil size and no tongue base obstruction during DISE may have a higher chance of surgical success with LPMR. The lower AHI may be predictors of surgical cure after LPMR.

The palatopharyngeal muscle in otolaryngology practice: an anatomical-based surgical report.

OBJECTIVES: The author discusses current otolaryngological procedures employing the palatopharyngeus muscle, based on the surgical anatomy of the muscle and its neural supply. These techniques should be deeply revised for more conservative, anatomically-based maneuvers. METHODS: Revision of anatomical and surgical research and comments with the provision of a primary concept. RESULTS: The palatopharyngeus muscle is innervated by the pharyngeal plexus (the vagus and the accessory nerves) with additional fibers from the lesser palatine nerves. The innervation enters the muscle mainly through its lateral border. CONCLUSIONS: The palatopharyngeus muscle has a fundamental role in swallowing and speech. The muscle helps other dilators to maintain upper airway patency. Sphincter pharyngoplasty should be revised as regards its role as a sphincter. Palatopharyngeal procedures for OSA employing the palatopharyngeus muscle should follow the conservative, anatomically-based, and non-neural ablation concept.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis on stress distribution after different palatoplasty and levator veli palatini muscle reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a three-dimensional finite element model of the upper palate, pharyngeal cavity, and levator veli palatini muscle in patients with unilateral complete cleft palate, simulate two surgical procedures that the two-flap method and Furlow reverse double Z method, observe the stress distribution of the upper palate soft tissue and changes in pharyngeal cavity area after different surgical methods, and verify the accuracy of the model by reconstructing and measuring the levator veli palatini muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mimics, Geomagic, Ansys, and Hypermesh were applied to establish three-dimensional finite element models of the pharyngeal cavity, upper palate, and levator veli palatini muscle in patients with unilateral complete cleft palate. The parameters including length, angle, and cross-sectional area of the levator veli palatini muscle etc. were measured in Mimics, and two surgical procedures that two-flap method and Furlow reverse double Z method were simulated in Ansys, and the area of pharyngeal cavity was measured by hypermesh. RESULTS: A three-dimensional finite element model of the upper palate, pharyngeal cavity, and bilateral levator veli palatini muscle was established in patients with unilateral complete cleft palate ; The concept of horizontal projection characteristics of the palatal dome was applied to the finite element simulation of cleft palate surgery, vividly simulating the displacement and elastic stretching of the two flap method and Furlow reverse double Z method during the surgical process; The areas with the highest stress in the two-flap method and Furlow reverse double Z method both occur in the hard soft palate junction area; In resting state, as measured, the two flap method can narrow the pharyngeal cavity area by 50.9%, while the Furlow reverse double Z method can narrow the pharyngeal cavity area by 65.4%; The measurement results of the levator veli palatini muscle showed no significant difference compared to previous studies, confirming the accuracy of the model. CONCLUSIONS: The finite element method was used to establish a model to simulate the surgical procedure, which is effective and reliable. The area with the highest postoperative stress for both methods is the hard soft palate junction area, and the stress of the Furlow reverse double Z method is lower than that of the two-flap method. The anatomical conditions of pharyngeal cavity of Furlow reverse double Z method are better than that of two-flap method in the resting state. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article uses three-dimensional finite element method to simulate the commonly used two-flap method and Furlow reverse double Z method in clinical cleft palate surgery, and analyzes the stress distribution characteristics and changes in pharyngeal cavity area of the two surgical methods, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the surgeon to choose the surgical method and reduce the occurrence of complications.

Limited Palatal Muscle Resection for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Limited palatal muscle resection (PMR) is a surgical technique employed to alleviate respiratory disturbances in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with retropalatal narrowing by reducing soft palate volume and tightening the muscles. Although some previous publications have demonstrated the effectiveness of limited PMR, the overall efficacy and therapeutic role of limited PMR for the treatment of OSA remain uncertain. This study utilized meta-analysis and a systematic literature review to estimate the overall effectiveness of limited PMR in treating OSA. Materials and Methods: Multiple databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched using specific keywords related to OSA and limited PMR. Original articles assessing respiratory disturbances before and after limited PMR in patients with OSA were included. Data from selected articles were collected using standardized forms, including clinicodemographic characteristics, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and lowest pulse oximetry values (minimum SpO2). Random effect models were used for analyzing significant heterogeneity. Egger's test and funnel plot were used to identify publication bias. Results: Four studies were included in this meta-analysis for AHI, and three studies were included for minimum SpO2 during sleep. A significant reduction in the AHI and an increase in the minimum SpO2 were shown following limited PMR as the standardized mean difference (95% confidence interval) was 2.591 (1.092-4.090) and 1.217 (0.248-2.186), respectively. No publication bias was found in either analysis. Conclusions: The results of the meta-analysis and systemic review add to the literature that limited PMR can result in a reduction in the AHI and an increase in min SaO2. In OSA patients with suspected retropalatal obstruction, limited PMR may be efficiently performed.

Quantitative Evaluation of Palatal Lengthening After Cleft Palate Repair When a Buccal Flap Is Routinely Combined With Furlow's Z-Plasty.

INTRODUCTION: The use of a buccinator myomucosal flap in combination with Furlow's Z-plasty during primary and secondary palatal repairs has been proposed by many authors to overcome some of the limitations of Furlow's technique. However, there have been no studies that quantitatively measured the effective palatal lengthening when the buccal flap is added. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The buccal flap is routinely used during primary palate repair in order to fill the gap between the hard palate and reoriented palatal muscle sling. The soft palatal length was measured in the midline from the posterior edge of the hard palate to the base of the uvula. All patients were measured before starting the surgery and just after palatal closure in the standard position for cleft palate repair. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients with cleft palate who were candidates for primary repair were included. The mean age at the time of operation was 11.4 ± 3.5 months. The mean preoperative palatal length was 21.36 ± 3.529 mm, whereas the mean postoperative palatal length was 29.64 ± 4.171) mm. The mean palatal length change was 8.29 ± 2.514 mm (P < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The Combined use of a buccinator myomucosal flap with modified Furlow's Z-plasty in primary cleft palate repair has proven effective for palatal lengthening and achieved tensionless closure without the need for relaxing incision. It also provided a pliable soft tissue attachment of the palatal muscles to the hard palate allowing for better muscle function and mobility.

Vascular anatomy of the velopharyngeal muscles and its clinical implications: A fresh cadaveric study based on micro-computed tomography.

Poor speech improvement after levator veli palatini (LVP) reconstruction may be related to intraoperative vascular injury. We aimed to examine the vascular anatomy of the velopharyngeal muscles to provide a guide for arterial protection in cleft palate repair. Fresh adult cadaveric heads were injected with gelatin/lead oxide. The velopharyngeal specimens were stained with iodine and scanned using micro-computed tomography. Three-dimensional reconstruction models were obtained using a computer-aided design software. The ascending palatine artery (APaA), especially the posterior branch, is the main artery supplying the velopharyngeal muscles. The posterior branch of the APaA reaches the dorsal part of the musculus uvulae in the posterior one third of the soft palate (SP) and lies 1.75 mm (standard deviation, 0.06) under the nasal mucosa; the anterior branch penetrates the anterolateral side of the LVP to reach the anterior one third of the SP and lies 7.09 mm (0.03) under the oral mucosa. The posterior APaA, anterior ApaA, and ApaA trunk had mean diameters of 0.41 mm (0.04), 0.46 mm (0.06), and 0.65 mm (0.04) at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 cm distance from the palatal midline, respectively. To minimize vascular injury, mobilization of muscles during intravelar veloplasty should be performed within a distance of 1 cm from the palatal midline, and dissection of the oral submucosa should be reduced in the anterior one third of the SP, while wide dissection of the nasal submucosal should be avoided in the posterior one third of the SP.

A Preliminary Study of Anatomical Changes Following the Use of a Pedicled Buccal Fat Pad Flap During Primary Palatoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the surgical impact of the pedicled buccal fat pad (BFP) flap on the levator veli palatini (LVP) muscle and surrounding velopharyngeal (VP) anatomy following primary palatoplasty using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). DESIGN: Observational, prospective. SETTING: MRI studies were completed at 3 different facilities. All participants with BFP flap were operated on by the same surgeon. PARTICIPANTS: Five pediatric participants with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP±L) who underwent primary palatoplasty with BFP flap placement. Comparison groups consisted of 10 participants: 5 with CP±L who did not receive the BFP flap and 5 healthy controls. INTERVENTIONS: All participants underwent nonsedated MRI 2 to 5 years postoperatively. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Anatomical measures of the velopharynx and LVP among the 3 participant groups. RESULTS: Median values were significantly different among groups for velar length (P = .042), effective velar length (P = .048), effective VP ratio (P = .046), LVP length (P = .021), extravelar LVP length (P = .009), and LVP origin-origin distance (P = .030). Post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the BFP and traditional repair groups for effective VP ratio (P = .040), extravelar LVP length (P = .033), and LVP length (P = .022). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary support that the BFP flap creates a longer velum, with increased distance between the posterior hard palate and the LVP, and a larger effective VP ratio compared to traditional surgical techniques. Future research is needed to determine whether this procedure provides a more favorable mechanism for VP closure.

Primary Palatoplasty With Intravelar Veloplasty Using Acellular Dermal Matrix Interpositional Graft.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) on fistula formation after primary palatoplasty using intravelar veloplasty for levator veli palatini muscle repair.This single-center retrospective study included patients who underwent primary palatoplasty with intravelar veloplasty for reorientation of the levator veli palatini muscles between April 2014 and March 2018. In the control group (group A) conventional intravelar veloplasty was performed, while in the ADM group (group B) intravelar veloplasty using ADM was performed. The study sample was composed of 162 patients, 81 in each of the 2 groups (A and B). In group B, securely dissected muscles were overlapped, and a pentagon-shaped ADM (AlloDerm, LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, NJ) of 1.6 mm mean thickness, 11.3 mm mean width, and 14.4 mm mean length was designed, and placed under the repaired levator muscle sling. The outcome variable was the occurrence of oronasal fistula within the first 6 months after surgery.Postoperative fistula formation was reported in 6 patients in group A (7.4%) and in 5 patients in group B (6.2%). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.755). There were 7 cases of ADM exposure and 2 cases of wound dehiscence in group B.The results of this study demonstrated that ADM use did not have any disadvantage with respect to oronasal fistula complications after intravelar veloplasty for levator veli palatini muscle repair.

Perioperative Management in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate.

In cleft care, perioperative treatment strategies like ear nose and throat (ENT) diagnostics as well as postoperative antibiotics, feeding, and duration of inpatient stay are nonstandardized procedures varying between different centers. Likewise, intraoperative choice of suture materials and time of suture removal are performed inconsistently. Therefore, we wanted to collect information on protocols focusing on these topics to summarize and subsume currently approved treatment strategies of centers around the world. We ask members of international cleft centers for their respective treatment strategies and performed descriptive statistics.Absorbable suture material is used for reconstruction of the outer lip skin in 20 of 70 centers. Removal of skin sutures is conducted after 7.0 ±â€Š1.5 days. Suturing of the orbicularis oris muscle, the enoral and nasal mucosa, as well as the palatal musculature is predominantly performed with absorbable suture materials. Intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is applied in 82.9% of the participating centers. In contrast, 31.9% of the departments do not apply any antibiotic postoperatively. Postoperative feeding is performed in 27 centers via a nasogastric tube for 4.6 ±â€Š2.3 days on average. Mean length of postoperative inpatient stay is 4.1 ±â€Š2.6 days in children after cleft lip surgery and 4.5 ±â€Š2.7 days after cleft palate surgery. ENT consultation before surgery is routinely conducted in 52.8% of the centers and 82.9% of ENT colleagues investigate middle ear pathologies in the same operation in which cleft repair is performed.Closure of the lip skin is predominantly performed with nonabsorbable suture material followed by a suture removal after 1 week. Intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis as well as inpatient hospital stay of 4 to 5 days in combination with oral feeding and a preoperative consultation and intraoperative cooperation with the ENT department seems to be well-proven concepts in cleft lip palate patient care. However, this analysis illustrated the variations and differing approaches in perioperative care emphasizing the need to verify perioperative management concepts in cleft surgery-preferably in the context of multicenter studies.

The Behaviors of the Levator Veli Palatine Muscle Between 2 Surgical Conditions in Dog: The Comparison of Furlow and Pushback Methods.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare the velopharyngeal function among the beagle dogs which the levator veli palatini (LVP) muscles construction has been experimentally changed. METHODS: Four groups of LVP muscle reconstruction were made (normal LVP, cut LVP, end-to-end sutured LVP, and overlapped-sutured LVP at the midline). Levator veli palatini contraction was induced by electrical stimulation or a hypercapnia condition to analyze the strength of the velopharyngeal closure using balloon with a blood pressure meter, and the electromyogram in those operated beagle dogs. RESULTS: Under a hypercapnia condition, the velopharyngeal function did not differ significantly among the 4 groups in the terms of velopharyngeal pressure. The strongest closure was shown at the overlapped sutured LVP group by electrical stimulation. CONCLUSION: The reconstruction of overlapped sutured LVP showed the most effective closure. This study suggested that the palatoplasty should be conducted along the overlapped LVP (like Furlow method).

Clinical Significance of the Levator Veli Palatini Muscle in Velocardiofacial Syndrome Patients: Implications in Velopharyngeal Incompetence and Pharyngeal Flap Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Anatomical variation and deficits of velocardiofacial syndrome patients are related to unsatisfactory treatment results in surgical correction of speech abnormalities. The main purpose of the article is to investigate the clinical significance of thinned levator veli palatini muscle in VCFS patients. METHODS: The authors reviewed medical records of all children with velocardiofacial syndrome who received pharyngeal flap surgery between March 2007 and September 2015. Data including thickness of levator veli palatini in magnetic resonance examination; preoperative velopharyngeal gap size from nasoendoscopy; and preoperative and postoperative speech outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Total of 36 velocardiofacial syndrome patients with preoperative objective data and postoperative speech outcomes were identified. Preoperative velopharyngeal gap showed significant correlation with thickness of levator veli palatini (correlation coefficient: 0.297/0.397, P = .02/.03) and gap size showed correlation with postoperative speech improvement (0.347/0.413, P = .04/.02). However, muscle thickness showed no correlation with speech outcomes (0.046/0.037, P = .77/.86). CONCLUSION: Thinned levator veli palatini muscle in velocardiofacial syndrome patients are related to widened velopharyngeal gap and production of hypernasal speech, and can give negative impact on postoperative surgical outcome of pharyngeal flap surgery.

Minimal incision palatoplasty with or without muscle reconstruction in patients with isolated cleft palate: a cast and medical records analysis.

Objectives: To compare the minimal incision (MI) technique with the minimal incision including muscle reconstruction (MMI) technique regarding surgical complications and dentoalveolar status at 5 years of age. Subjects and method: A consecutive series of 202 Caucasian non-syndromic children (apart from Pierre Robin Sequence) born with isolated cleft palate between 1987 and 2007 and treated with MI (n = 78) or MMI (n = 102) palatoplasty at a mean age of 12.7 (SD = 1.43) months in Stockholm. Twenty-two patients did not fulfill the inclusion criteria. The patients were divided into two subgroups: clefts within the soft palate only (small cleft, n = 50) and clefts within the hard and soft palate (big cleft, n = 130). Dental relations, structure of the palatal mucosa, and height of the palatal vault at 5 (mean age 5.3, range: 4.4-6.9) years of age were studied using plaster models. Time for surgery, blood loss, complications in the immediate postoperative period, frequency of fistulas, and additional pharyngeal flap surgery were evaluated. Student's t-test, chi-square test and 95 per cent confidence intervals were calculated. Results: MMI compared to MI technique result in statistically significant increased operation time, less need for pharyngeal flap surgery, and to shallower palatal vault. Big clefts result in statistically significant increased operation time and need for pharyngeal flap surgery. Dental relations were the same in all groups. Limitations: Retrospective single centre study, limited sample size, more than one surgeon. Conclusions: The muscle reconstruction results in a reduced subsequent need for pharyngeal flap surgery, but to shallower palatal vault and demand for almost double operation time. The dental relations were the same in all groups.

Total Palatal Mobilization and Multilamellar Suturing Technique Improves Outcome for Palatal Fistula Repair.

BACKGROUNDS: The success rate of the surgical repair of palatal fistula after palatoplasty is often unsatisfactory. This study is a review of 15 years of single surgeon's experience with the evolution of a reliable surgical technique with high success rate. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of consecutive cleft cases undergoing repair of palatal fistula from 2000 to 2015. The study included 37 consecutive fistula repair cases with wide elevation and mobilization of the palatal tissues and nasal and oral layer repair. Group 1 (n = 20) were treated earlier in the study using either midline, von Langenbeck, or 2-flap palatoplasty with 3-layer suturing. Group 2 (n = 17) were treated through a Dorrance-type incision and additional repair of the oral periosteum for a total of 4-layer suturing. RESULTS: The overall fistula closure rate was 94.6% (90% in group 1 and 100% in group 2). The difference in outcome between the 2 groups was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Most patients (83.8%) had concomitant velar muscle retropositioning for treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence. CONCLUSIONS: Fistula repair using wide mobilization of the entire palate through previous repair incisions and multilamellar suturing technique has a very low fistula recurrence rate. Addition of the fourth layer of suturing and the use of a Dorrance-type incision further improves the outcome. This approach provides wide tissue release and access to tissue layers for better repair and tension-free closure. Combining intravelar veloplasty with fistula repair is safe and allows management of the fistula and its possible consequences on palatal function in a single procedure.

Single Z-Plasty Versus Double-Opposing Z-Plasty: A Cadaveric Study of Palatal Lengthening.

OBJECTIVE: The double-opposing Z-plasty is an effective method of repairing the cleft palate due to its reorientation of the palatal musculature and lengthening of the soft palate. A technique for lengthening the palate with a single oral Z-plasty has also been described. The authors hypothesize that these 2 techniques have equivalent effects on palate length. METHODS: A cadaver study was performed. Ten fresh adult cadaver heads were used.All palates were divided in the midline. In 5 specimens, a modified double-opposing Z-plasty technique was used; 5 other specimens underwent an oral Z-plasty with a straight-line repair of the nasal mucosa. In both groups, the levator veli palatini muscles were separately dissected and reapproximated with an intravelar veloplasty. The velar length, defined in this study as the distance from the posterior nasal spine to the tip of uvula, was measured before and after the surgical procedure. RESULTS: The double-opposing Z-plasty produced a mean increase of 1.0 ±â€Š0.6 cm in velar length (P = 0.023). The single Z-plasty repair resulted in a mean gain of 1.1 ±â€Š0.3 cm (P = 0.001). There was no difference in change in palate length between the 2 procedures (P = 0.941), and no difference in the percentage of soft palate lengthening (24% vs 29%, respectively; P = 0.565). CONCLUSIONS: A single oral Z -plasty provides palatal lengthening equivalent to that of a double-opposing Z-plasty procedure.

Secondary Palatal Elongation: Improvement in Speech Quality.

Cleft palate is one of the challenging problems in the field of craniofacial surgery. In particular, the conventional methods of bilateral and severe cleft palate repairs have failed to achieve normal speech. In most instances, secondary procedures such as pharyngoplasty and pharyngeal flap surgery are performed to improve speech.This study introduces secondary palatal elongation (SPE) as a new approach to cleft palate repair. The patients included usually had a short palate and unrepaired palatal muscles. The authors' procedure involved dissecting the previously repaired palatal mucosa and pushing back and cutting the nasal mucosa of the palate horizontally and further pushing it back. Then, 1 or 2 buccal mucosal flaps were used to repair the nasal mucosal defect of the palate. In case of unrepaired veloplasty from the primary surgery, the levator muscles were dissected and sutured together to perform veloplasty. The range of palatal elongation was 15 to 25 mm.Secondary palatal elongation has been performed on 17 patients since 2007 with a high rate of speech improvement. Based on this 9-year experience with performing SPE, SPE is a radical anatomic technique of palatal elongation as compared with pharyngoplasty and pharyngeal flap surgery. All 17 patients who underwent SPE showed improvement in speech, from very poor to poor speech and from normal to good speech.

The innervation of the soft palate muscles involved in cleft palate: a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical techniques to obtain adequate soft palate repair in cleft palate patients elaborate on the muscle repair; however, there is little available information regarding the innervation of muscles. Improved insights into the innervation of the musculature will likely allow improvements in the repair of the cleft palate and subsequently decrease the incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency. We performed a literature review focusing on recent advances in the understanding of soft palate muscle innervation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Medline and Embase databases were searched for anatomical studies concerning the innervation of the soft palate. RESULTS: Our literature review highlights the lack of accurate information about the innervation of the levator veli palatini and palatopharyngeus muscles. It is probable that the lesser palatine nerve and the pharyngeal plexus dually innervate the levator veli palatini and palatopharyngeus muscles. Nerves of the superior-extravelar part of the levator veli palatini and palatopharyngeus muscles enter the muscle form the lateral side. Subsequently, the lesser palatine nerve enters from the lateral side of the inferior-velar part of the levator veli palatini muscle. This knowledge could aid surgeons during reconstruction of the cleft musculature. The innervation of the tensor veli palatini muscle by a small branch of the mandibular nerve was confirmed in all studies. CONCLUSION: Both the levator veli palatini and palatopharyngeus muscles receive motor fibres from the accessory nerve (through the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve) and also the lesser palatine nerve. A small branch of the mandibular nerve innervates the tensor veli palatini muscle. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Knowledge about these nerves could aid the cleft surgeon to perform a more careful dissection of the lateral side of the musculature.

Nasolabial appearance after two palatoplasty types in cleft lip and palate.

BACKGROUND: Facial appearance is important for normal psychosocial development in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP). There is conflicting evidence on how deficient maxillary growth may affect nasolabial esthetics. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated nasolabial appearance in two groups, the Langenback (35 children; mean age 11.1 years; range: 7.9-13.6) and Vomerplasty (58 children; mean age 10.8 years; range: 7.8-14), who received unilateral CLP surgery by the same surgeon. The hard palate repair technique differed between the two groups. In the Langenback group, palatal bone on the non-cleft side only was left denuded, inducing scar formation and inhibiting maxillary growth. In the Vomerplasty group, a vomerplasty with tight closure of the soft tissues on the palate was applied. Thirteen lay judges rated nasolabial esthetics on photographs using a modified Asher-McDade's index. RESULTS: Nasolabial esthetics in both groups was comparable (p > 0.1 for each nasolabial component). Inferior view was judged as the least esthetic component and demonstrated mean scores 3.18 (SD = 0.63) and 3.13 (SD = 0.47) in the Langenback and Vomerplasty groups, respectively. Mean scores for other components were from 2.52 (SD = 0.63) to 2.81 (SD = 0.62). Regression analysis showed that vomerplasty is related with slight improvement in the nasal profile only (coefficient B = -0.287; p = 0.043; R(2 ) = 0.096). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the use of vomerplasty instead of the Langenbeck technique is weakly associated with the nasolabial appearance among pre-adolescent patients with UCLP.

Technical details of rotation palatoplasty in patients with Veau 1 cleft palate.

In cleft palate repair, elongation of the cleft toward the posterior is critically important to prevent velopharyngeal insufficiency. The purpose of many cleft palate repair techniques has been to ensure this elongation. Rotational palatoplasty is a recent cleft palate repair technique. In this technique, the soft palate is transformed into a rotational flap to allow the palate to elongate in patients with a cleft palate. This technique, which is used in all types of cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency, is easy to use, practical, and efficient, especially in patients with a Veau 1 cleft palate. The aim of this study was to explain the technical details of the rotation palatoplasty technique in Veau 1 cleft palate with the aid of figures.

Effects of Pillar implants for sleep-related breathing disorders on middle ear function.

Pillar implants provide a reasonable outcome with minimal post-operative morbidity and complications in treating patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) who had obvious palatal obstruction. The palatal structure is responsible for a normal functioning Eustachian tube; however, little is known if there is any potential otologic implication of minimally invasive palatal stiffening surgery for SDB. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Pillar implantation on middle ear function. We performed a prospective study in a tertiary referral center. Thirty SDB patients (25 men, 5 women; mean age, 44.3 years) who underwent Pillar implants for treating palatal obstruction were enrolled. The subjects had normal otologic exam and no previous history of chronic ear disease. Pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry were performed pre-operatively, and post-operative days 1 and 7, and months 1 and 3. Baseline and post-operative middle ear pressures (MEPs) in decipascals were compared. Statistical analysis was performed by repeated measures of ANOVA. Eight patients (8/30, 26.7%) reported otologic complaints such as ear pressure and/or otalgia within 1 week post-operatively. No permanent otologic discomfort occurred. A trend toward reduced MEP was noted in this study. The decrease in MEP became apparent on post-operative day 1 after surgery. However, mean pressure changes were no longer significantly different from pre-operative values by 1 week after surgery. Pillar implantation for SDB induces changes in middle ear function. However, the changes were temporary and not significant 1 week after surgery.