Are tongue flaps effective in the closure of palatal fistulas? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Is to Sytematically review the available evidence on the effectiveness of tongue flaps in the Closure of Palatal Fisutlas. Methods: The study protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols, and it was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews under registration number CRD42023397034. Results: Our search strategy yielded 587 articles. Of these, 150 were duplicate studies, and 437 were screened. Of these studies, 392 studies were excluded based on their titles and abstracts. 45 records were assessed for eligibility in which 29 were excluded as they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Finally, 16 studies met the criteria for inclusion, and they were critically reviewed. Conclusion: This study highlights that tongue flaps, particularly dorsal tongue flaps (DTF) and posterior tongue flaps (PTF), are effective options for palatal fistula closure, demonstrating high success rates and a favorable complication profile. Nonetheless, additional research is necessary to explore the potential of these techniques for closing oroantral fistulas (OAF). Further investigations should employ randomized controlled trials with larger patient cohorts and extended follow-up periods to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy, complication rates, and long-term outcomes of DTF and PTF in OAF treatment.