Soft palate bi‐pedicle flaps: a modification of VY repair of cleft soft palate

Abstract

Palatal fistula and velopharyngeal insufficiency are the commonest complications of cleft palate surgery.

For patients with cleft soft palate, beside hard palate VY push back flaps, two soft palate bi‐pedicle flaps were made on each sides of the posterior palate to dissect and push soft palate back and medial closing the VP valve.

In operated 26 children, sutures were tensionless and palatal integrity could be achieved in all patients without reported postoperative bleeding, fistula, infection, suture release, or granulation.

Postoperative nasoendoscopy registered grade 4 VP closure in all with restoration of normal speech (0 grade of nasality) at 6 months postoperatively.

The newly designed bi‐pedicle soft palate flaps with the VY repair of the cleft palate helps to avoid palatal fistula, elongate the soft palate and achieve proper VP closure.

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