The design of tongue flaps for the closure of palatal fistulas.

This paper presents the author's experience with thin (3-mm) tongue flaps used to close large anterior palatal fistulas. This technique was used successfully in 12 patients with fistulas following surgery for cleft palate. One forked flap and one mushroom-shaped flap that were used to close irregularly shaped fistulas are described. All flaps survived, and there was a partial recurrence of one fistula in only one patient. The results of this series confirm that the thin tongue flap is a safe and reliable technique for the closure of large palatal fistulas even when tailored to fit irregularly shaped defects.