Folded-flap palatoplasty and traditional staphylectomy yield similar postoperative soft palate geometry in French Bulldogs undergoing airway surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To compare CT-derived anatomical geometry of the soft palate and clinical outcome following folded-flap palatoplasty (FFP) or traditional staphylectomy (TS).

METHODS

Client-owned French Bulldogs were prospectively enrolled between July 2021 and September 2024. An exercise tolerance test (ETT) and head CT were performed preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Dogs were randomized to receive FFP or TS in conjunction with modified multilevel surgery for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Computed tomography measurements were performed and compared between groups. The length of the soft palate was measured from the end of the hard palate to the caudal tip of the soft palate. Soft palate thickness was measured by dividing the length into equal thirds, and measurements were taken of the rostral, middle, and caudal thirds.

RESULTS

Eighteen dogs completed the study (FFP, n = 7; TS, 11). With the use of either surgical technique, soft palates were significantly shorter and significantly thinner postoperatively at the rostral and middle thirds but not at the caudal third when compared to preoperative measurements. Surgical technique was not shown to have a significant effect on the change in palatal length or thickness. There was no significant difference in improvement in ETT scores between the FFP and TS groups.

CONCLUSIONS

FFP did not result in a significantly thinner or shorter palate or greater improvement in ETT score when compared to TS. Both techniques resulted in significantly shorter and thinner palates postoperatively.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Equivalent clinical outcome can be expected following FFP or TS combined with modified multilevel surgical techniques for the treatment of BOAS.