Modified double-opposing Z-plasty for patients with Veau I cleft palate: Are lateral relaxing incisions necessary?

Low fistula rate and a satisfactory speech outcome were previously reported by adopting a modified Furlow palatoplasty using small double-opposing Z-plasty (DOZ). The purposes of this study were to (1) describe the technical standardization of further modification of this small DOZ using the medial incision (MIDOZ) approach for Veau I cleft repair; (2) assess the early postoperative outcomes of a single surgeon's experience using this technique; and (3) evaluate the temporal association of this standardization with the necessity of lateral relaxing incisions. A prospective study (n = 24) was performed consecutively to non-syndromic patients with Veau I cleft palate who underwent MIDOZ approach. Patients with similar characteristics who underwent small DOZ were included as a retrospective group (n = 25) to control for the potential effect of the standardization of surgical maneuvers (including the hamulus fracture) on the rate of lateral relaxing incisions. Six-month complication rate was collected. No postoperative complications, such as bleeding, flap necrosis, dehiscence or fistula were observed. The prospective group had a significantly (all P < .05) higher rate of hamulus fractures (n = 48, 100%) and a lower rate of lateral relaxing incisions (n = 1, 2%) than the retrospective group (n = 16, 32%; n = 26, 52%). This technical standardization for performing palatoplasty using MIDOZ approach provided adequate Veau I cleft palate closure, without fistula formation, and with a low need of lateral relaxing incisions.