Closing the Lateral Palatal Spaces with and without Mesh Placement during Two Flap Palatoplasty of Cleft Palate

Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital anomalies. Usually during palatoplasty surgeons put a mesh mixed with antibiotic at the lateral space of relaxing incisions and remove it 3-5 days postoperatively. It seems that it increases the postoperative pain decreases fluid intake risk of aspiration of mesh. Also it seems that it lead to expose of bare bone and probably maxillary growth retardation. The aim of this study was to compare the extent of bleeding، hospitalization length، analgesic and sedative drug treatment، feeding، and dehiscence between those closed without mesh and those with mesh. At this study 37 patients with cleft palate with or without cleft lip operated with two flap palatoplasty technique and lateral spaces closed without inserting mesh case group. Those cases were compared with 35 patients with cleft palate who operated with the same technique with inserting antibiotic mesh in lateral spaces. The length of hospitalization، extent of postoperative hemorrhage، prescription of analgesic & sedative drugs in both groups has significant differences and they were more prevalent in case group. Fluid intake in study group was much better than control. Because of high prevalence of adverse effect of mesh placement after cleft palate surgery we prefer to close the lateral spaces without mesh.