Oronasal fistula repair using the alveolar ridge approach

Different Surgical Approaches to the Treatment of Cleft Palate Fistulae as Perceived by Cleft Surgeons

OBJECTIVE

Palatal fistulas after palatoplasty could pose difficulties for both patients and surgeons. Numerous surgical approaches are available to treat palatal fistulas. In this manuscript, we investigate surgical treatment options for palatal fistula repair looking at the different anatomical locations, and we create a summary of surgical approaches to facilitate the decision-making process for palatal fistulae repair.

DESIGN

In this cross-sectional survey, nine anonymized patient cases with palatal fistulae that differed in severity and anatomical location were presented to participants from the International Cleft Master Course in Amsterdam about "Palatal Fistulas". Participants were invited to participate in this survey. A total of 141 participants reported their preferred surgical treatment options for fistula repair at different anatomical locations.

RESULTS

We created different options for fistula treatment, catalogued by fistula location. This overview gives the surgeon possible approaches for each location. If the soft palate is involved, this overview underscores the importance of including velopharyngeal insufficiency management into the fistula repair. For hard palate involvement, our overview lists techniques available for nasal lining repair and for oral lining repair in each region.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide a comprehensive overview of potential surgical approaches to repair palatal fistulae. This inventory of techniques is grouped per location to support surgeons in their decision-making process when confronted with a palatal fistula.

Oronasal Fistula Closure and Defect Reconstruction: Two Case Reports Using Periodontal Plastic Surgery Principles

OBJECTIVES

Oronasal fistulas are common sequelae following cleft lip and palate surgery and can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. They result from various factors, including surgical techniques, tissue management, and patient-specific factors. This case report explores the modern approach to oronasal fistula closure using periodontal plastic surgery principles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The report presents two cases of patients with oronasal fistulas due to previous maxillofacial surgical intervention. These patients underwent microsurgical procedures that involved partial flap thickness preparation of the fistula areas, the use of connective tissue grafts from the palate, and meticulous suturing techniques to ensure graft integrity. The procedures were performed in stages, and postoperative care was provided.

RESULTS

Both cases demonstrated successful fistula closure and graft survival. The patients reported improvements in breathing, speech, aesthetics, and quality of life. The second case also included guided bone regeneration and implant placement.

CONCLUSIONS

Oronasal fistulas resulting from maxillofacial surgery can be effectively treated using periodontal plastic surgery techniques, significantly improving patients' quality of life and aesthetic outcomes. This approach represents a valuable addition to the existing repertoire of oronasal fistula closure methods.

Nasal Septal Flaps for Repair of Large or Recurrent Palatal Fistula: Report of Technique and 4-Year Experience

SUMMARY

Large or multiply recurrent oronasal fistulas following cleft palate repair present a challenging problem. Nasal septal mucoperichondrial flaps have been widely used for repair of skull base defects; however, their use in the repair of oronasal cleft palate fistulas has not previously been described. In this pilot study, the authors describe anterior palatal fistula repair using a nasal septal flap and review their experience with this technique over 4 years. Fourteen patients with anterior palatal fistulas not amenable to repair using local palatal flaps were included for analysis. The mean size of the fistula was 12 mm in maximum dimension. Flap healing with complete or near-complete closure of fistula was achieved in 13 patients (93%). Five of these patients had a small, slit-like residual fistula that was asymptomatic. Nasal septal flaps are a new technique for repair of large or recurrent palatal fistulas. The procedure is well-tolerated with minimal side effects, high success rate, and low incidence of recurrence.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, IV.

Obturator Manufacturing for Oronasal Fistula after Cleft Palate Repair: A Review from Handicraft to the Application of Digital Techniques

An oronasal fistula (ONF) is an abnormal structure between the oral and nasal cavities, which is a common complication of cleft palate repair due to the failure of wound healing. When some patients with ONF are unsuitable for secondary surgical repair, the obturator treatment becomes a potential method. The objectives of the obturator treatment should be summarized as filling the ONF comfortably and cosmetically restoring the dentition with partial function. The anatomy of patients with cleft palate is complex, which may lead to a more complex structure of the ONF. Thus, the manufacturing process of the obturator for these patients is more difficult. For performing the design and fabrication process rapidly and precisely, digital techniques can help, but limitations still exist. In this review, literature searches were conducted through Medline via PubMed, Wiley Online Library, Science Direct, and Web of Science, and 122 articles were selected. The purpose of this review was to introduce the development of the obturator for treating patients with ONF after cleft palate repair, from the initial achievement of the obstruction of the ONF to later problems such as fixation, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and infection, as well as the application of digital technologies in obturator manufacturing.

Surgical Repair of Acquired Oronasal Fistulas Secondary to Periodontal Disease in Dogs Using a Flexible Bone Membrane: A Case Series

Oronasal fistulas are sequelae to periodontal disease in dogs. Previous case series have described the use of auricular cartilage as a type of membrane to help with surgical repair of oronasal fistulas. This case series explores the use of a commercially available flexible bone membrane in the surgical repair of ten acquired oronasal fistulas in dogs. The use of the flexible bone membrane did not necessarily improve the surgical outcomes in these cases; however, larger controlled trials are necessary to further evaluate its use.

Management of Oronasal Fistulas in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate

BACKGROUND

The oronasal fistula in cleft patients is one of the complications that can be found after primary surgeries due to a failure of healing of the surgical repair that causes the communication between the oral and nasal cavities. A number of procedures can be implemented to correct the fistula and it is not clear if a particular technique is the best to be recommended.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to systematically analyze the scientific evidence regarding the treatment of oronasal fistulas located in the lingual-alveolar and labial-alveolar regions in patients with cleft lip and palate who have undergone primary surgeries.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A bibliographic search of articles published until September 2018 without restricted year and language of publication, in PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Cochrane, Web of science, and BVS databases. The MeSHterms "Fistula," "Oral Fistula," and "Cleft Lip" were used, which were related to each other and with other keywords related to the subject of the review through the "OR" and "AND" operators. The quality of the publications was evaluated according to the guidelines of the Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies.

RESULTS

After applying the eligibility criteria, a total of 18 articles were selected for the extraction of data and qualitative analysis.

CONCLUSION

All publications analyzed in this review reported the fistula treatment at the same surgical time as the bone graft, independently of the donor area, the type of cleft treated and the patient's age at operation. There was no consensus among the studies on the best treatment type for oronasal fistulas located in the alveolar region, and further comparative studies between the existing techniques will be necessary to address this question.

A Toolbox of Surgical Techniques for Palatal Fistula Repair

OBJECTIVE

To provide an inventory of oronasal fistula repair techniques alongside expert commentary on which techniques are appropriate for each fistula type.

DESIGN

A 4-stage approach was used to develop a consensus on surgical techniques available for fistula repair: (1) in-person discussion of oronasal fistula cases among cleft surgeons, (2) development of a schema for fistula management using transcripts of the in-person case discussion, (3) evaluation of the preliminary schema via a web-based survey of additional cleft surgeons, and (4) revision of the management schema using survey responses.

PARTICIPANTS

Six cleft surgeons participated in the in-person case discussion. Eleven additional surgeons participated in the web-based survey. Participants had diverse training experiences, having completed residency and fellowship at 20 different hospitals.

RESULTS

A schema for fistula management was developed, organized by fistula location. The schema catalogues all viable approaches for each location. For fistulae involving the soft palate, the schema stresses the importance of evaluating for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and incorporating VPI management into fistula repair. For fistulae involving the hard palate, the schema separately enumerates the techniques available for nasal lining repair and for oral lining repair in each region. The schema also catalogues the diversity of approaches to lingual- and labioalveolar fistula, including variation in timing, orthodontic preparation, and simultaneous alveolar bone grafting.

CONCLUSIONS

This study employed consensus methods to create a comprehensive inventory of available fistula repair techniques and to identify preferential techniques among a diverse group of surgeons.

Local Flap Technique After Removing Premaxilla for Closure of Oronasal Fistula

This letter aimed to describe a surgical technique for oronasal fistula closure that promotes efficient healing and minimizes recurrence. The oronasal fistula was repaired by buccal flap. The technique proved to be simple and efficient.