Z-palatopharyngoplasty

Palatal surgery traditionally seeks to widen the airway, reducing obstruction of the tongue base, retropalatal, and lateral dimensions. Correction of the palate with the classical uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, however, often results in a narrowed palatal arch. The Z-palatoplasty was first developed as a modification of the traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, with the intent to widen the retropalatal space while maintaining or increasing the lateral space. Since its first description, the Z-palatoplasty has been modified to include tonsillectomy and lateral pharyngoplasty. We describe the author׳s technique and the evolution and successful application of the procedure.