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Sivi Bakthavachalam, MD; Yadranko Ducic, MD, FRCSC

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2006;8:123-127.

Repair of the extremely wide hard palate cleft can be done effectively with a double transposition flap. All cases referred for closure of cleft palates from 1997 to 2005 were considered for this study. Of these, 6 were classified as extremely wide cleft palates thought not to be treatable with standard closure techniques. A double transposition flap was used in each case. All patients tolerated the procedure well; no flap failure or dehiscence was noted; and none has required secondary repair. All patients tolerated an appropriate diet following flap repair. Two patients who were gastrostomy tube dependent preoperatively no longer required gastrosotomy tubes postoperatively.

Author Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and the Division of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery, John Peter Smith Hospital, Fort Worth, Tex.