The use of the operating microscope for cleft palate repair and pharyngoplasty.

Since 1991, the author has used the operating microscope for all palate and pharyngeal operations. There are benefits for the surgeon, who operates in a more comfortable position with reliable lighting and variable magnification; for trainees and operating room staff, who have the same view as the surgeon, either through a teaching arm or on a video screen; and, it is hoped, for the patient, as the anatomy is more clearly displayed and potentially, therefore, more accurately reconstructed.