A Comparative Study Evaluating Speech Outcomes in Classic versus Occult Submucous Cleft Palate Using a Primary Furlow Palatoplasty Technique

Background: No consensus exists on the selection of procedures for the treatment of submucous cleft palate, with scarce reports on long-term outcomes from single-surgeon experience. This study assessed the outcomes of using extended indication criteria of Furlow palatoplasty as the first-line procedure for the management of submucous cleft palate-associated velopharyngeal insufficiency. Methods: Consecutive nonsyndromic patients with submucous cleft palate (n = 216) treated by a single surgeon between 1998 and 2018 were reviewed. Furlow palatoplasty was performed in all patients diagnosed with submucous cleft palate-associated velopharyngeal insufficiency, regardless of the age cutoff, number of Calnan triad features, or velopharyngeal gap size and pattern. Postoperative velopharyngeal function outcome (adequate, marginal, or inadequate) and the need for secondary surgery were investigated. Age at surgery, sex, submucous cleft palate type (classic and occult), and presence of complication were evaluated for potential associations with this outcome. Results: Forty-seven patients aged 8.3 ± 4.6 years with occult submucous cleft palate were significantly (p < 0.001) older than those with the classic type (n = 169; 5.6 ± 3.1 years). Most (p < 0.001) of the included patients [n = 181 (83.8 percent)] achieved adequate postoperative velopharyngeal function outcome. Three patients (1.4 percent) presented surgery-related complications, including bleeding and partial wound disruption. Secondary speech surgery was recommended in 24 patients (11.1 percent). In the bivariate and multivariate analyses, none of the tested variables was found to be associated (all p > 0.05) with the postoperative velopharyngeal function outcome. Conclusion: The extended indication criteria of Furlow palatoplasty provided adequate velopharyngeal insufficiency management with a low complication rate and satisfactory speech outcome.