Pharyngoplasty for Speech Disorders Following Brain Injury.

Introduction: Dysarthria is one of the commonest neurological speech disorders resulting from brain injury. However, hypernasality commonly co-exists in this subgroup of patients and is commonly overlooked. The authors aim to investigate the merit of surgery in improving hypernasality and speech intelligibility in patients with a mixed pattern of dysarthria and hypernasality secondary to brain injury.

Materials And Methods: Data was collected from the regional plastic surgery unit over a 10-year period. All patients who underwent a pharyngoplasty for speech improvement following total brain injury from either a traumatic injury or a cerebrovascular accident were included. Patients were followed up post-operatively to assess; improvement in speech rehabilitation, complications and the need for surgical revision.

Results: Six patients had a pharyngoplasty for speech improvement. Either a Hynes or Jackson pharyngoplasty was performed, with one patient requiring a hemi-pharyngoplasty. Post-operatively, 1 patient experienced self-limiting sleep apnea which resolved within 1 month. One patient developed obstructive symptoms and required revision. Overall, 83% of patients had clear improvement in speech intelligibility and articulation.

Conclusions: The authors have shown that surgical intervention, in the form of a pharyngoplasty, is an effective method of improving speech intelligibility and articulation, by improving hypernasality and restoring communication in this cohort of patients. The aim of this paper is to highlight this option to colleagues and to heighten the awareness that many patients with a total brain injury have a mixed pattern of speech disturbance and not solely the dysarthria that is attributed to this condition.