Skip to main content

Velar Adhesion Reduces Cleft Width Prior to Palatoplasty in Cleft Lip

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 15, 2025.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, July 15, 2025 -- For patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), velar adhesion (VA) reduces cleft width prior to palatoplasty and is associated with a lower incidence of otitis media with effusion (OME), according to a study published online May 28 in PLOS ONE.

Miki Kashiwagi, from The University of Tokyo Hospital, and colleagues examined the impact of VA on cleft-width reduction and the incidence of OME in patients with UCLP. Forty-five patients with UCLP who underwent a palatoplasty were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent VA during lip repair and those who did not (VA group and non-VA group). Cleft width and alveolar cleft width were measured at birth, lip repair, and palatoplasty; the day before palatoplasty, presence of OME was assessed.

The researchers found that at the time of palatoplasty, significant cleft-width reduction was seen in the VA group versus the non-VA group (4.58 versus 6.55 mm). A significantly lower incidence of OME was seen in the VA group versus the non-VA group (60.0 versus 90.91 percent). For the alveolar cleft width or maxillary growth, no significant between-group differences were identified.

"The results of our present analyses suggest that VA significantly reduces the cleft width at the junction of the hard and soft palates," the authors write. "VA also presents the potential for mitigating complications such as OME, thus reducing the incidence rate of OME."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

No Adverse Neurodevelopmental Effects Seen From Inhaled Anesthesia in Children Under 2

THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 -- For children younger than 2 years undergoing surgery, no adverse neurodevelopmental effects are seen with the addition of dexmedetomidine and...

Complication Risk Top Concern for African American Women Undergoing Breast Reconstruction

TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2025 -- For African American patients undergoing mastectomy, the risk for complications and additional surgeries are the top concerns driving breast...

One in 10 Undergoing Early Cancer Surgery Have New Persistent Opioid Use

MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2025 -- More than one in 10 veterans undergoing surgery for early-stage cancer develop new persistent opioid use, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.