Do Pharyngeal Flaps Restrict Early Midface Growth in Patients With Clefts?

OBJECTIVE: To compare facial growth characteristics in patients with cleft palate who have undergone pharyngeal flap with those who had palatal lengthening or pharyngoplasty and to control subjects who have not had surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI).

DESIGN: Matched retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Multidisciplinary cleft care center.

PATIENTS: All patients with cleft palate who had undergone pharyngeal flap or pharyngoplasty/palatal lengthening for VPI were included. Patients with craniofacial syndromes or those who had undergone maxillary protraction were excluded. A control group did not undergo surgery for VPI. The three groups were matched based on cleft type and ages at VPI surgery and cephalogram.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thirteen craniofacial measurements were evaluated on postoperative cephalograms using an analysis of variance with a Bonferroni adjustment for significant measures (α = 0.05).

RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were included; mean ages at VPI surgery and postoperative cephalogram were 5 and 8 years, respectively. Twelve of thirteen craniofacial measures were not significantly different; notably, this included maxillary height and projection. Only gonial angle was found to differ significantly (P = .018) in that pharyngoplasty and pharyngeal flap yielded a smaller angle compared with that in control subjects.

CONCLUSION: Facial growth, and in particular maxillary growth, was not altered as expected after pharyngeal flap surgery. Pharyngeal flap appears to be equivalent to pharyngoplasty and palatal lengthening in that no significant effects on early facial growth were detected after surgery for VPI in this cohort of children with cleft palate.