Bilateral buccinator mucomuscular flaps with double opposing z-plasty for repair of wide and/or complete cleft palate

ABSTRACT

Furlow procedure remains our procedure of choice for narrow and incomplete clefts. In wide clefts of the palate there is no enough tissue present to allow closure of the cleft without side-to-side tightness as to impede drastically palatal function. In this study we have combined the Furlow technique with bilateral buccinator mucomuscular flaps. We repaired 12 wide and/or complete clefts by this technique. Only one postalveolar fistula was reported. Further follow-up is going on to evaluate the long term effects of this technique on speech and maxillary growth