The incidence and treatment modalities of palatal fiatula have been studied in 453 cleft
palate patients to whom we have offered primary palatoplasty at the department of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery, National Medical Center for the period of last 9 years. The results are as followings;
t) The palatal fistula occured in 21 among 453 patients of palatoplasty.
2) Among the 31 patients who have been operated with palatal fistula, the original types of cleft palate was bilateral complete cleft palate in 15 patients, unilateral complete cleft palate in 14 patients, and incomplete cleft palate in 2 patients.
3) Among the 31 patients with palatal fistula, success rate was 55% in 20 patients who were operated before 5 years old, and 90% in 10 patients operated after 6 years old of their age.
4) Almost all of the fistulae were located at the anterior portion of hard palate, and 5-10 mm sized, oval shaped slit was the most common type. (27 of 31)
5) Eleven among 31 patients recurred after correction of the palatal fistula. Their original type of the cleft was unilateral cleft in 4 patients, and bilateral cleft in 7 patients.
6) Width of palatal celft, tensile suture of mucoperiosteum due to inadequate dissection, infection, inappropriate size of local flap, and inaccurate suture method and difficult location to repair of palatal cleft may cause palatal fistula after palatoplasty.
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