Abstract
In order to clarify the effect of palate surgery on the maxillary growth in complete bilateral cleft lip and palate, maxillary growth with two-stage palatal closure, by our own method based on Perko' s technique, was compared to those with mucoperiosteal palatal pushback operation. After lip repair by Manchester's at age 5 months, one group (Bil-T Group) of patients received two-stage palatal closure which include primary veloplasty at age 20 months and hard palate closure at age 5 year 10 months.
Another group (Bil-S Group)received mucoperiosteal palatal pus hback operation at 20 months. A longitudinal and three-dimensional maxillary growth was monitored by the measurement of maxillofacial models obtained from each patient. Non-cleft subjects were classified as a control group to match the cleft groups by age and by body age.
The results showed that t here was no maxillary growth difference between the Bil-T group and the Bil -S group in any dimensions studied, and that the growth inhibition in height of the maxilla of both Bil-T a nd Bil-S groups became more remarkable compared to the control group after lip and palatal surgery. These results may indicate that careful consideration is needed for the choice of two-stage p alatal clousre in cases with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate.
