Comparison of palatal fistula incidence post palatoplasty with Veau-wardill kilner technique between men and women

Cleft palate is a congenital abnormality that occurs in the mouth and surrounding structures. The most used classification of cleft palate by Veau (1931). To repair the palatal defect, shape and function, surgical correction is necessary. There are various types of palatoplasty techniques that can be used, such as Veau-Wardill-Kilner. Palatoplasty may causes complications such as palatal fistula. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Airlangga University has been carrying out a social service for cleft lip and palate surgery repair since year 2008 in various regions in Indonesia. However, until now, there is no data available related with the incidence of palatal fistula. Purpose: To observe the comparison between the palatal fistula incidence post palatoplasty using Veau-Wardill-Kilner technique based on gender. Methods: This study based on 113 palatoplasty cases using Veau-Wardill-Kilner technique taken from Oral and Maxillofacial Cleft Palate Surgery Social Service data, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Airlangga University from the period of 2013 until 2022. Data analysis used Kruskal-Wallis on IBM SPSS version 29 Windows. Results: from 113 patients, 20 cases (17,7%) showed that there is developed palatal fistula. Between the incidence of palatal fistula in men and women observed after palatoplasty procedure using Veau-Wardill-Kilner, higher percentages of palatal fistula were found in women (p=0.426). Conclusion: The incidence of palatal fistula post palatoplasty using Veau-Wardill-Kilner technique in women is higher than men.