P76. SINGLE Z-PLASTY VERSUS DOUBLE-OPPOSING Z-PLASTY: A COMPARISON OF SUCCESS WITH PALATAL LENGTHENING

Abstract

PURPOSE: Palate length is associated with improved speech outcomes in cleft palate repair. The Furlow double-opposing Z-plasty (2ZP) utilizes two Z-plasties to reorient palatal musculature and lengthen the velum. An overlapping intravelar veloplasty with a single oral Z-plasty (1ZP) has been described previously. The authors hypothesize that these 2 closure techniques will result in similar palatal lengthening. METHODS: A retrospective comparative study of patients with a cleft palate was conducted. All included patients underwent either 2ZP or 1ZP. Pre- and post-operative measurements of the palate were recorded along various dimensions. The primary outcome of interest was anterior-posterior (AP) palatal length, defined as a straight line measurement from the teeth to the uvula. Analysis was conducted to detect statistical differences using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test for significance. RESULTS: 80 patients met inclusion criteria (2ZP = 14, 1ZP = 66). Patients who underwent 2ZP exhibited an average increase in palatal length of 7.93mm, and 1ZP was 7.23mm. Both techniques led to a statistically significant increase in palate length. There was no statistically significant difference observed in the change of the AP palatal length by technique (2ZP 16.2% vs 1ZP 15.7%; p = 0.53). CONCLUSION: A single oral Z-plasty results in statistically significant palatal lengthening in patients. There was no difference seen in the AP dimension of palate length comparing 2ZP and 1ZP techniques. production.