Cleft palate repair by Furlow double opposing Z-plasty was performed in 31 patients between 1990 and 1994. Speech results and effects on maxillary growth following Furlow palatoplasty were investigated and compared with the pushback procedure. Twentyseven patients undergoing pushback palatoplasty, performed by the same surgeon during the same period, served as controls.<BR>1. Twenty-two patients in the Furlow group and 15 patients in the pushback group were old enough to permit speech evaluation. Mean ages at palatoplasty in the Furlow group and the pushback group were 2.4 years and 2.1 years, respectively. There were no differences between the groups in the distribution of type of cleft or age at palatoplasty. Mean ages at speech evaluation in the Furlow group and the pushback group were 4.1 years and 4.5 years, respectively. Twenty of the 22 patients in the Furlow group had no evidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency, while one had mild and the other moderate to severe insufficiency. Twelve of the 15 patients in the pushback group had no evidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency, while one had mild and two had moderate to severe insufficiency. No significant difference was found between the two groups, and the early speech results were encouraging.<BR>2. Effects on maxillary growth following cleft palate repair were evaluated by the presence or absence of crossbite in 18 patients in the Furlow group and nine patients in the pushback group who had completed deciduous dental eruption. Mean ages at palatoplasty in the Furlow group and the pushback group were 2.6 years and 2.0 years, respectively. There were no differences between the groups in the distribution of type of cleft or age at palatoplasty. Mean ages at growth evaluation were 4.2 years in the two groups. Only five patients in the Furlow group had anterior crossbite. In the pushback group, on the other hand, three patients had anterior crossbite, one had posterior crossbite, and three had both anterior and posterior crossbite. The difference between the presence of crossbite in the two groups was statistically significant. Furlow palatoplasty allowed adequate maxillary growth.