Acute airway obstruction in an infant with Pierre Robin syndrome after palatoplasty

This report describes a complication of post-operative oedema of the palate, tongue and pharynx after a Perko-revised cleft palate repair, which resulted in a life-threatening airway obstruction in an infant with Pierre Robin syndrome. Although infants experiencing airway problems after Wardill-Kilner, von Langenbeck and Furlow palatoplasty have been described, airway complications in a group of Perko-revised repair children have not been previously reported. We speculate that this complication, which occurred in the absence of a history of previous airway problems, is due to prolonged operating time and excessive pressure exerted on the base of the tongue by the Kilner-Doughty retractor. Acknowledgments of this risk permits to identify those patients prior to surgery so that they can be managed appropriately.