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.