Abstract

LEON PEREZ, J.A.  and  SESMAN BERNAL, A.L.. In cleft palate is indispensable to section the uvula for one half?: Anatomical and phisiological implications for a different uvuloplasty. Cir. plást. iberolatinoam. [online]. 2010, vol.36, n.3, pp.259-263. ISSN 1989-2055.

The role of the palate depends on the synchronous action of the superior constrictor of the pharynx and the muscles of the palate, specially the levator muscle of the soft palate and the uvula, that contract against the posterior pharyngeal wall. We propose an uvuloplasty in cleft palate where half hypotrophic part of cleft uvula is resected, lefting the most similar half to normality joined to the soft palate, rather than resecting half of each one and putting them together in the midline. We present a total of 936 cases, collected between 1995 and 2006. The surgical procedure was resection of an hemiuvula, leaving the more natural looking sutured to the soft palate of unresected hemiuvula. The mean age of our patients was 14 months (6 to 20 months). Complications (4%) were: bleeding 3 % and wound dehiscence 1 %. We believe that natural look supports the parents who observe the presence of the uvula and so, are motivated to attend appointments for language rehabilitation; the presence of an hemiuvula not interfere with function palate for talking.

Keywords : Cleft Palate; Uvula; Uvuloplasty.

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