title: Use of a buccal musculomucosal flap to close palatal fistulae after cleft palate repair.
abstract: Forty-two patients aged 4 to 13 (mean 7 years) had palatal fistulae closed with a buccal musculomucosal flap. The pedicle was divided approximately 2 weeks after the initial operation. Complete closure at the first attempt was obtained in 69% of the cases though, when the fistulae were large and extended to the anterior hard palate, the results were not as good (36%). Almost no detrimental after-effects occurred at the donor site. The buccal musculomucosal flap was found to be a useful alternative to a tongue flap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakakita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ojimi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Utsugi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002610:Cheek; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000637:transplantation; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps