ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A significant percentage of children with cleft palate suffer from otitis media with effusion and its consequences, such as deafness, chronic adhesive otitis and cholesteatoma. This study aimed to determine whether these effects can be minimised by selecting pharyngofixation as the surgical technique for cleft palate correction. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed of 155 patients (308 ears) who underwent surgery from age 5 months to 8 years and were followed up for 36-84 months. RESULTS: In all, 125 ears (41 per cent) had epitympanic retraction, 45 ears (14 per cent) had sinus tympani retraction and 5 patients (3 per cent) had cholesteatoma. Use of the pharyngofixation technique did not significantly correlate with (1) the severity of otological findings or (2) the incidence of retraction pockets in the epitympanum and sinus tympani (p = 0.53). CONCLUSION: Pharyngofixation did not significantly alter the severity of long-term otological findings.