INTRODUCTION: Cleft palate is considered as one of the most frequent congenital abnormalities of the face. Short palates with misoriented musculature is always a problem affecting speech. These considerations have pushed surgeons to modify palatoplasty techniques to get better speech outcomes.
AIMS: To assess the significance of the buccinator myomucosal flap use combined with Furlow double z palatoplasty on lengthening of the palate in primary cleft palate.
METHODS: Forty cleft palate patients were done using classical furlow z-plasty operation without suturing the right sided anteriorly based mucosal flap to the edge of the hard palate. This space was further filled with a left posteriorly based buccinator myomucosal flap.
RESULTS: Among 40 patients with an age range of 9-18 months, the palatal lengthening was of a mean 29.65 (±4.72 ) compared to preoperative mean of 21.65 (±4.25 ).Paired t-test was used showing significant difference of pre and postoperative (P