The quantitative evaluation of palatal elongation after Furlow palatoplasty

• Published in: Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery Vol. 62; no. 4; pp. 446 - 450
• Main Authors: Guneren, Ethem, Uysal, O.Ata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-04-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Cleft Palate - surgery; Dentistry; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Oral Surgical Procedures - methods; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Palate, Soft - anatomy & histology; Palate, Soft - surgery; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency - surgery; Plasty; Evaluation; Treatment; Stomatology; Surgery; Palate; Elongation; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0278-2391; 1531-5053
• DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2003.05.015

Furlow “double-opposing Z-palatoplasty” (FP) operation lengthens the soft palate by using only soft palate tissues. It is used in cleft palate repair and velopharyngeal incompetence. The aim of this study was to define the importance of the length and ratio of the soft palate elongation after FP.
This study included 17 patients who were operated on by the same surgeon using FP. The mean follow-up period time was 4.5 years. Preoperative, intraoperative, and late postoperative velar lengths were measured and elongation ratios were calculated.
Mean intraoperative elongation and ratio were 16.11 mm and 69.05%, and mean late postoperative elongation and ratio were 12.47 mm and 55.47%, respectively.
Significant and permanent elongation in velar length was obtained using the FP.