Prevention of oronasal fistula in primary palatoplasty with acellular dermal matrix

Abstract

Palatal fistula after primary palatoplasty remains one of the most difficult complications that plastic surgeons have to face. Once the fistula has developed, the complexity of the reconstruction increases significantly, and the revisional surgery results are not promising. The recent use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) provides a new perspective for the reconstructive surgeon. Our goal is to reduce and prevent the postoperative oronasal fistula in patients with cleft palate by placing an ADM in the zone 3 and 4 of Pittsburgh (hard palate and hard–soft palate junction), creating an extra layer for support of the cleft palate. Seven children diagnosed of palatal cleft with high risk of developing oronasal fistula were operated. The technique of choice was two-flap palatoplasty with lateral incisions and intravelar veloplasty and three-layered closure with ADM in the hard palate and hard–soft palate junction. One patient developed a 3-mm oronasal fistula at 3-month follow-up, with spontaneous closure at 12 months. The rest of the children had an uneventful evolution. Our rate of postoperative oronasal fistula was 0% at 12 months. The use of ADM in primary palatoplasty had been of great use to prevent complications in high-risk oronasal fistula patients.