Cleft palate, treatment and complications

The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), fistulae and recurrence development in patients seen by the Isfahan Cleft Care Clinic and also determine the association of gender, age at repair, and cleft type with the incidence of each.

In this retrospective study, 320 children who had undergone a primary cleft palate surgery and who had come to the cleft lip and palate in Isfahan in 2010-2017 were studied based on the medical records and information about each patient. Then all patients were evaluated by standard speech assessment methods for severity of hypernasalitis and screened for clinical manifestations of fistula and recurrence.

According to the results of this study, the incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency after initial repair was 78.1% and most of these patients had severe form. The results also showed that by increasing age at surgery also increased the intensity of velopharyngeal insufficiency, and the severity of this complication has nothing to do with gender. In the case of fistula and recurrence of cleft showed that, in patients who are undergoing the new procedure to be significantly less than other patients.

According to the study, palatoplasty complications such as velopharyngeal insufficiency, fistula, and recurrence were less common in patients treated with microsurgery, Therefore, it can be concluded surgical repair of cleft palate should be performed before 12 months ages and in microsurgery methods. It seems that follow up of these patients after surgery for monitoring of speech complications is necessary.