[Use of the lateral tongue flap for closure of cleft palate. Retrospective study of seven cases].

Due to its central position, mobility and good blood supply, the tongue is a most suitable donor site for the closure of cleft palate fistulae. The aim of this retrospective study was to reassess the efficacy of the lateral tongue flap technique, first reported in 1884 and in use up to the 1970s, after which it was replaced by more sophisticated methods for the reconstruction of buccal and labial defects, which however could be deleterious to the patient. The results of the present study demonstrate the reliability and technical simplicity of the lateral tongue technique. The procedure took place in two stages, after which the patient was fed for five postoperative days by nasogastric tube, thereby facilitating the healing process via non-interference with scar tissue. Out of the seven patients who received treatment, six successful closures were noted, and only one partial failure was observed, in all cases without any functional sequelae involving the tongue.