par Lejour, Madeleine ;De Mey, Albert ;Deraemaecker, Rika
Référence Revue médicale de Bruxelles, 5, 7, page (483-489)
Publication Publié, 1984
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : New treatment of congenital cleft lips and palates are difficult to choose because the results cannot be fully appreciated before full growth of the child has occurred. For more than 25 years we have closed the lip at 6 months and the palate at 18 months. The latter operation, however, requiring an extensive undermining of the mucous membrane of the hard palate, may retard the growth of the maxilla and induce secondary problems, including crossbite. A new technique, devised by R. Malek, is now used in our department: closure of the soft palate at 3 months of age, and closure of the hard palate in continuity with closure of the lip at 6 months. This new sequence of operations require more skill than the former, but it is satisfactory as the operations are completed at the age they were previously started. A longer follow up will be necessary to evaluate this method, but fewer secondary deformations are expected as it involves minimal undermining and thereby creates less scarring and less growth retardation of the bones.