The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia modification of the Furlow double-opposing Z-palatoplasty: 30-year experience and long-term speech outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes following modified Furlow palatoplasty over a 30-year experience at a single institution.

METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all nonsyndromic patients undergoing primary modified Furlow palatoplasty at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 1980 and 2011. Surgical success was evaluated by the rate of postoperative oronasal fistula, speech outcomes assessed at a minimum of age 5 years, and the need for secondary surgery for velopharyngeal dysfunction. Results were analyzed by surgeon, Veau cleft type, age at repair, and over time.

RESULTS: Eight hundred sixty-nine patients who underwent modified Furlow repair were included in this study. The mean age at palatoplasty was 1.1 years, and the mean length of follow-up was 6.7 years. Repairs were performed by 11 surgeons, with 44.3 percent performed by a single surgeon. The overall oronasal fistula rate was 5.2 percent, and this improved significantly over the 30-year period (p = 0.003). Speech results at age 5 or older were available for 559 patients. Of these 559 patients, 72.4 percent had a competent velopharyngeal mechanism, and 21.5 percent had a borderline mechanism consistent with socially acceptable speech. Secondary pharyngeal surgery was indicated in 8.1 percent of patients. Speech results were stable (p = 0.10), and rates of secondary surgery for velopharyngeal dysfunction declined significantly over the study period (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS: The authors' 30-year experience with the modified Furlow palatoplasty shows stable speech results, decreasing rates of secondary surgery, and an acceptable rate of postoperative oronasal fistula.