ABSTRACT
Background: Cleft palate is a congenital anomaly leading to physical, social and psychological deficits. Early repair before child start speaking is ideal. Many patients especially with wide clefts may develop lateral fistula as a complication of surgery. Buccal Fat Pad is versatile tissue which can be used for closure of lateral fistulas at time of palatoplasty. Patients & methods: 3 cases of isolated cleft palate are presented that were operated for cleft palate repair. Results: All patients had uneventful recovery and satisfactory healing. Speech results are also favorable. Conclusion: Use of BFP is versatile and easy method with no donor site deformity and minimal complications.We recommend use of BFP for cleft palate repair.
ABSTRACT
The rate of postoperative cleft palate fistula is influenced by palatal repair methods. High incidence of cleft palate fistula is associated with pushback palatoplasty, because wide elevation of mucoperiosteal flaps can cause hematoma and exudate, which make flaps thinner so necrotise. Thus, the authors tried to reduce the wound disruption, hematoma, and dead space while performing pushback palatoplasty in complete cleft palate by applying compressive dressing over mucoperiosteal flaps. As a result, the incidence of cleft palate fistula was statistically reduced after compressive dressing. Three fistulas occurred in 14 patients treated by pushback palatoplasty without compressive dressing, but no fistula occurred in 25 patients treated by pushback palatoplasty with compressive dressing. By applying the compressive dressing after Pushback palatoplasty, it is expected not only reduced short-term complication, but also better results in the long-term follow up of maxillary growth and speech development.