A review of oronasal fistula following palatoplasty in recent 10 years.

Chae, Jong Hoon; Jang, Hyo Jook; Hong, In Pyo; Kim, Jong Hwan

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1998;25(6):1003-1008.
Published online August 1, 1998.

A review of oronasal fistula following palatoplasty in recent 10 years.

Jong Hoon Chae, Hyo Jook Jang, In Pyo Hong, Jong Hwan Kim

Abstract

A retrospective, multivariate statistical analysis of 394 patients who underwent cleft palate repair was performed to document the incidence of postoperative oronasal fistula formation, and to assess possible contributing factors. Fistulas of the secondary palate were included, but nasal-alveolar fistulas and intentionally unrepaired anterior palatal fistulas were excluded. Postoperative oronasal fistulas occurred in 25 of the 394 patients(6.35%). The mean age at repair was 16.4 months, and mean follow-up period was 2.5 years. Several variables that are included sex, age, extent of clefting(as estimated by the Veau classification), type of repair, and experience level of the operating surgeon were analyzed by means of the log-rank test to determine their significance in postoperative fistula formation. Sex (p=0.077), age(p=0.538), and experience level of the operating surgeon(p=0.094) did not significantly affect the rate of fistula formation. However, extent of clefting(p=0.005) and type of repair(p=0.001) are the strongest predictor of the occurrence of a cleft palate fistula.