Furlow's double reversing z-palatoplasty using intraoperative rapid mucosal expansion

ABSTRACT

Major concerns in cleft palate repair are improved speech results and adequate maxillary growth. In these respects, Furlow's double reversing Z-plasty which requires minimal hard palatal dissection and redirects palatal muscles to produce an overlapping muscle sling is theoretically optimal method to close the cleft palate. However, it often requires backcut around the maxillary tubercle even dissection around the pedicle on oral mucosal Z-plasty flap. Raw surface heals secondarily but leads to scarring within the soft palate. In the current study, IIpatients all had incomplete cleft palate and were operated double reversing Z-palatoplasty using intraoperative rapid mucosal expansion (IRME), from November, 1996 till July, 1997. With the IRME, we reduced the incidence of backcut or dissection on the oral mucosal flap. Only three patients need small backcut incision and two of these were closed primarily with V-Y fashion. To examine the histologic changes and expansion rate with the IRME, same procedures were performed to palatal mucosa of three cats. Expanded mucosal size was increased to 33.3% and histologically, change of mucosal architecture was not found except capillary dilatation. As a result, intraoperative mucosal expansion offers sufficient mucosal size, reduce incidence of backcut, therefore minimizes palatal scar formation. Balanced maxillofacial growth and normal occlusion are expected with this procedure.