[Furlow palatoplasty--experiences with 114 consecutive cases].
After introducing the Furlow's double opposing palatoplasty [4] in our clinic in 1991 114 patients were operated on and registered prospectively. Using this procedure for closure of small clefts and/or with moderate velopharyngeal incompetence only at the beginning it became the method of choice not only for primary palatoplasty at the age of 18-24 months but also for corrective measures now. An increase of length of the soft palate of 10 +/- 3 mm at the average was gained immediately after surgery. There were no specific side effects of the method, especially no fistulas occurred. Good speech results were obtained in 61% at the age of 8 years using profound phoniatric tests. Mixed velopharyngeal closure investigated by means of nasal videoscopy was the dominating form in 55%. The results underwent a positive change comparing results in patients after longitudinal investigation at the age of 5 and 8 years bzw. They corresponded with or exceeded the results found in a control group operated on with other methods of palatoplasty at another centre.
Schubert
J
J
Klinik und Poliklinik für Mund-, Kiefer- und Plastische Gesichtschirurgie, Medizinische Fakultät, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06097 Halle. johannes.schubert@medizin.uni-halle.de
Bartel-Friedrich
S
S
Hemprich
A
A
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*