Radical overlapping intravelar veloplasty during primary cleft palate repair results in decreased secondary speech surgery.

Background: There is growing evidence that performing a radical intravelar veloplasty (IVV) improves speech outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a radical IVV during primary palatoplasty on the rate of secondary speech surgery.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of primary palatoplasty using an IVV performed by a single surgeon from the year 2000 to 2023.

Adult-onset obstructive sleep apnea and pediatric pharyngoplasty in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Objective/background: We aimed to evaluate adult-onset obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and related risk factors, including history of pediatric palatal/pharyngeal surgery to remediate velopharyngeal dysfunction, in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS).

Impact of 22q deletion syndrome on speech outcomes following primary surgery for submucous cleft palate.

Background: Patients with 22q deletion syndrome are at increased risk of submucous cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency. The authors' aim is to evaluate speech outcomes following primary Furlow palatoplasty or pharyngeal flap for correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency in submucous cleft palate patients with and without 22q deletion syndrome.

Methods: Records of submucous cleft palate patients who underwent primary surgery between 2001 and 2010 were reviewed.

Same noses, different nasalance scores: data from normal subjects and cleft palate speakers for three systems for nasalance analysis.

Nasalance scores from the Nasometer, the NasalView and the OroNasal System were compared. The data was collected from 50 normal participants and 19 hypernasal patients with cleft palate. The Nasometer had the lowest nasalance scores for the non-nasal Zoo Passage and that the OroNasal System had the lowest nasalance scores for the Nasal Sentences.

Does velopharyngeal closure pattern affect the success of pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty?

Historically at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty has been the treatment of choice for treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency, regardless of velopharyngeal closure pattern. The authors hypothesize that pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty is more effective in treating velopharyngeal insufficiency in patients with circular or sagittal velopharyngeal closure and less effective in treating the coronal closure pattern. Ninety-three patients who underwent superiorly based pharyngeal flap surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency were evaluated in a retrospective chart review.