Surgical closure of palatal fistulae: follow-up of 84 personally treated cases.

In a series of 84 personally operated palatal fistula (83 in cleft patients) over a 5-year-period, anatomic and/or physiologic closure was achieved in 82%. Minor recurrences occurred in 13%, and 4% were (total) failures. The age at operation varied from 2 years 10 months to 55 years. In nine recurrences (11%) definitive closure is still planned but postponed to the postpubertal period. 75% of the patients were operated on by the author once only, 14% twice, while in 11% three or more operations were necessary. The routine operative methods have been the double hinge flap and the bone grafting procedure. Other techniques have been used only rarely, and with specific indications.