The quantitative evaluation of palatal elongation after Furlow palatoplasty.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant and permanent elongation in velar length was obtained using the FP.
Guneren
Ethem
E
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey. eguneren@omu.edu.tr
Uysal
O Ata
OA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*