Abstract
Cleft palate is associated with a high prevalence of middle ear dysfunction, even
after palatal repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of robot-enhanced
soft palate closure on middle ear functioning. This retrospective study compared two
patient groups after soft palate closure with a modified Furlow double-opposing Z-palatoplasty
technique. Dissection of the palatal musculature was performed using a da Vinci robot
in one group and manually in the other. Outcome parameters were otitis media with
effusion (OME), tympanostomy tube use, and hearing loss during 2 years of follow-up.
At 2 years post-surgery, the percentage of children with OME had reduced significantly
to 30% in the manual group and 10% in the robot group. The need for ventilation tubes
(VTs) decreased significantly over time, with fewer children in the robot group (41%)
than those in the manual group (91%) needing new VTs during postoperative follow-up
(P = 0.026). The number of children presenting without OME and VTs increased significantly
over time, with a faster increase in the robot group at 1 year post-surgery (P = 0.009). Regarding hearing loss, significantly lower hearing thresholds were recorded
in the robot group from 7 to 18 months postoperatively. To conclude, beneficial effects
of robot-enhanced surgery were recorded, suggesting a faster recovery when the soft
palate was reconstructed using the da Vinci robot.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 11, 2023
Accepted:
February 24,
2023
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
