Surgical closure of end-stage palatal fistulas using anteriorly-based dorsal tongue flaps.
Effective closure of the recurrent palatal fistula demands proper diagnosis and anatomically-based classification, combined with an appreciation of surgical options. The anteriorly-based dorsal tongue flap is recommended to close large and/or compromised end-stage residual palatal fistula, provided that patient selection and surgical technique are meticulous. It has proved to be a safe and effective method of solving a difficult problem.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014059:Tongue / Q000637:transplantation*