Postoperative evaluation of palatoplasty using the modified Kaplan method.
OBJECTIVE
Bilateral buccal mucosal flaps were used for a pushback operation of the nasal mucosa as well as the oral mucosa.


METHODS
Two flaps from the buccal mucosal areas were inserted into the nasal mucosal raw surface at the hard and soft palatal border to achieve nasal mucosal pushback. Forty-four children with cleft palates were retrospectively studied to investigate the velopharyngeal function, articulation, and craniofacial morphology following primary palatoplasty using the modified Kaplan method.


RESULTS
72.7% showed good velopharyngeal function. Articulation disorders were found in 26 of the 44 subjects (59.1%). A craniofacial morphological analysis revealed no major changes in the SNA (sella-nasion point A angle) and SNB (sella-nasion point B angle) and no cases of a marked loss of maxillary mandibular balance. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the maxillary length and width.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of these palatoplasties by the modified Kaplan method indicated that the use of bilateral buccal mucosal flaps for the pushback of the nasal mucosa was effective in preventing the contraction of the maxillary and mandibular corpal lengths.
Isago
Tsukasa
T
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
Nozaki
Motohiro
M
Honda
Takashi
T
Kikuchi
Yuji
Y
D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000601:surgery; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000601:surgery; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013524:Surgical Flaps