Medial Langenbeck: experience of a modified Von Langenbeck repair of the cleft palate. A preliminary report.

Early experience of a modified Von Langenbeck repair of cleft palate is reported. In each case the traditional method of repair has been adopted, but with the relieving incision placed medial to the greater palatine artery. Out of a total of 40 patients over a 2-year period 8 were noted to have a fistula, of which 4 closed spontaneously, leaving 4 (10%) potentially requiring further surgery. The modified oral layer closure was conceived with muscle repair directed at restoring normal anatomy and concentrating on construction of a median dorsal convexity.