Buccinator myomucosal flap in cleft palate repair: Revisited

Abstract

Objective: To present various ways of transfer and result of buccinator myomucosal flap (BMMF) in primary and secondary repair of palatal cleft and palate fistula. Design: This study has been designed on the basis of a clinical experience and literature search. Route of single or two BMMF(s) transfer was either lateral or posterior to the greater palatine neurovascular bundle. The flap has been used to repair defect in nasal layer, oral layer, or in combined nasal as well as oral layer of the palate. Materials and Methods: More than 160 palatoplasties have undergone palate repair with the use of BMMFs between 1999 and 2011. The analysis includes 98 palate repair. Unilateral flap was used most commonly in primary repair of nasal side of wide unilateral cleft palate (CP); whereas, two flaps were used mostly in primary repair of wide bilateral CP and in secondary palate repair for large fistula. Results: The fistula rate; in primary palatoplasty patients was 4.8% and in secondary palatoplasty patients, it was 8.3%. Good speech has been achieved in primary palatoplasty patients. After secondary palatoplasty also patients had good speech following therapy. Conclusion: The presented technique has been effective in anatomical and functional repair of wide palatal defects primary as well as secondary. The literature has been reviewed along with.