The use of buccal fat pad (BFP) as a pedicled graft in cleft palate surgery

The buccal fat pad (BFP) as pedicled graft was originally used in reconstructing medium sized intraoral defects. Promising results concerning the use of BFP in cleft palate surgery have been published recently. The aim of this article is to report on the use of BFP as a pedicled graft in cleft palate surgery and to discuss promising results for this reconstructive surgical concept. A retrospective evaluation of 24 patients who had BFP pedicled flaps used for the prevention and repair of Type III (Pittsburgh Fistula Classification) cleft palate fistulas, to obstruct the retromolar space of Ernst and in case of wide clefts, from 2005 to 2010, was conducted. In all cleft palate patients, the recipient area fully epithelialized within 4 weeks or less. No recurrence was seen and the donor site healed well without aesthetic or significant functional impairment. This series confirms the excellent and predictable healing of BFP intraorally and the minimal morbidity associated with the use of such grafts. The results of this study allow the authors to recommend that the BFP pedicled flap is considered as a reliable alternative procedure to expand the therapeutic options. The BFP graft provides an advantage in reconstructive cleft palate surgery.