Evaluation of Double-Layer Closure Of Anterior Palatal Fistula in Secondary Management Of Bilateral Cleft Lip And Palate

Purpose: To assess the clinical outcomes of a therapeutic protocol for anterior palatal fistula (APF) managementby doublelayer closure using premaxillary palatal flap (PPF) in BCLP patients who underwent primary premaxillary setback. Methods: Using a prospective study design, the investigators enrolled 12 BCLP patients who underwent premaxilla setback procedure attended to repair their residual anterior palatal fistulas. Each fistula was closed surgically using premaxillary palatal flap (as a nasal layer) and cover it with lateral palatal flaps (as an oral layer).The primary study variable was the clinical outcome which classified as good: (complete fistula closure with no symptoms occurred) and bad: (residual or recurrent fistula with persistent symptoms). To measure the relationships between the clinical outcome and patient's sex or fistula's size, chi-square test was performed. (P value was set as 0.05). Results: The sample was composed of 12 BCLP patients with APF. 11 patients showed successful fistula closure (91.7%) and1 patient partially presented with recurrent fistula (8,3%). There was no statistically significant association between patient's sex or fistula's size and the clinical result. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that PPF provided a good barrier aiding in closure of APF in BCLP patients.