Time for Eustachian Tube Function Recovery in Children with Cleft Palate after the 2-Flap Palatoplasty with Intravelarveloplasty.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the clinical outcomes regarding the time needed for Eustachian tube recovery and evaluate associated factors for the recovery in children with cleft palate undergoing primary 2-flap palatoplasty with intravelarveloplasty at Srinagarind Hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

This was a retrospective descriptive study of 82 consecutive non-syndromic cleft palate patients with/without cleft lip, who underwent primary palatoplasty at Srinagarind Hospital between January 2007 and December 2010. Demographic data were collected including sex, cleft type, age of palatoplasty, operating surgeon, type of tympanogram, oronasal fistula, ventilation tube insertion, age of ventilation tube insertion, and number of ventilation tube insertion.

RESULTS

Forty-five boys and 37 girls were included in the study for a total sample of 82 patients. The majority of cleft types was Veau IIIb (37.8%), followed by Veau IV (21.95%), Veau IIIa (20.73%), Veau I (9.76%), and Veau II (9.76%). Mean age of palatoplasty was 11.4 months (range, 9-23). There were three plastic surgeons and plastic surgery residents. The average time for Eustachian tube recovery was 37.5 months. Oronasal fistula was 15.9%. Ventilation tube insertion was 58.5% (one time: 40.2%, two and three times: 18.3%). Average age of ventilation tube insertion was 16 months (range, 9-64). There was no statistically significant difference in sex, age of palatoplasty, operating surgeon, ventilation tube insertion, or number of ventilation tube insertions in Eustacian tube recovery, but there was a statistically significant difference in cleft type, oronasal fistula, and mean age for ventilation tube insertion in Eustachian tube recovery.

CONCLUSION

The median recovery time for Eustachian tube function after primary 2-flap palatoplasty with intravelarveloplasty at Srinagarind Hospital was 37.5 months. Eustachian tube recovery was associated with severity of cleft types, oronasal fistula formation, and age of ventilation tube insertion.