Objective: To analyze the applicability and results of simultaneous primary palate repair and alveolar bone grafting in unoperated cleft lip and palate patients over 8 years old.
Methods: A retrospective study was performed in a group of unoperated cleft palate patients who received simultaneous primary palate repair and alveolar bone grafting. Between December 1990 and March 1998, a consecutive of 38 complete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients were treated by the procedures of simultaneous primary cleft palate repair and alveolar bone grafting at the Peking University of Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center. All the patients had their lip repaired before they were admitted. The age range was 8 to 24 years, with the average of 14.7 years old. The duration of operation as well as the blood loss during the operation was recorded, and compared with those patients who only received alveolar bone grafting. All the patients have been followed up for at least twelve months, and the results of bone grafting were evaluated according to radiographs.
Results: All the operations were successful, and the wound healed well. Compared with simple alveolar bone grafting, simultaneous primary palate repair and alveolar bone grafting prolonged the operation time to an average of 37 minutes. The procedure of simultaneous primary palate repair and alveolar bone grafting did not prolong the operating time compared with simple alveolar bone grafting and no blood transfusion due to bone grafting was needed. All the wounds both in the grafted area and donor site healed uneventfully. No major complications occurred during or shortly after the operation. The overall clinical successful rate of alveolar bone grafting in this group of patients was 89.5%.
Conclusion: Simultaneous primary palate repair and alveolar bone grafting are safe and applicable procedure for unoperated cleft palate patients, and this procedure should be performed in those unoperated cleft palate patients above 8 years old.