Speech Outcomes Following Operative Management of Velopharyngeal Dysfunction (VPD) in Non-Syndromic Post-Palatoplasty Cleft Palate Patients.

Publication/Presentation Date

6-1-2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 30% of patients with a history of repaired cleft palate (CP) go on to suffer from velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). This study discusses the operative management of VPD and postoperative speech outcomes in a cohort of CP patients.

SETTING: An academic tertiary pediatric care center.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study.

PATIENTS: Patients with history of repaired CP (Veau I-IV) who underwent operative management of VPD between January 1st, 2010 and December 31st, 2020. Operative modalities were posterior pharyngeal flap (PPF), sphincter pharyngoplasty (SPP), Furlow palate re-repair, and buccal myomucosal flap palate lengthening (PL).

OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure is postoperative speech improvement evaluated by the Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale (PWSS).

RESULTS: 97 patients met inclusion criteria. 38 patients with previous straight-line primary palatoplasty underwent Furlow re-repair; these patients were significantly younger (7.62 vs 11.14,

CONCLUSION: Furlow re-repair reduced need for additional VPD operations. Speech outcomes between non-revisional operations are comparable, but increased complications were seen in SPP.

Volume

61

Issue

6

First Page

1007

Last Page

1017

ISSN

1545-1569

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

36749038

Department(s)

Medical Education

Document Type

Article

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