Expansion of the socket and orbit for congenital clinical anophthalmia.

Background: Congenital clinical anophthalmia requires fitting an artificial eye, achieving a pleasing aspect of the palpebral apparatus, and stimulating growth of the orbit, as well as of the entire midface.

Methods: Out of 25 patients with clinical anophthalmia, 22 were treated according to a new protocol (first described by Wiese et al. in 1999) and followed for up to 6 years.

Veloplasty using the wave-line technique versus classic intravelar veloplasty.

Objective: A well-known problem in primary surgery of the soft palate is its shortness and the deficit of local soft tissue. This article introduces a modification of the primary intravelar veloplasty, allowing lengthening of the soft palate, and compares this alternative technique to the classic intravelar veloplasty.

Method: The soft palate wave-line technique adds a wavy incision at the velar cleft margins to the intravelar veloplasty.