Closure of cleft palate in adult patients, using a forearm flap with microvascular radial artery II

A clinical report on the utilization of the so called "Chinese Flap" first published in 1981 is presented by the authors. The basic principle of this method is the following: After closing the soft palate in three layers, a mucoperiosteal flap has been prepared from the palatal mucosa and rotated into the nasal cavity so to close nasally the defect in one layer. Than a pediculated fasciocutaneous flap containing both the radial artery and the two comitantes veins prepared from the forearm was sutured to the defect. The a radialis and the v. comitantes running forward and downward between the two layers of the soft palate passing the mandibular ramus and descending through a tunnel leading to the submandibular region were joined to the facial artery and veins and an anastomosis was established. The clinical experience with the "Chinese Flap" procedure showed good results. This method has been used in 12 cases so far and only one out of the 12 failed due to blood vessel developmental abnormalities.