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Engineered Vascularized Muscle Flap
Published on: January 11, 2016
Augmentation of the failed pharyngeal flap
H I Friedman1, P C Haines, G N Coston
1Department of Surgery, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|August 1, 1992
Summary
Pharyngeal flap surgery can fail due to scarring, leading to velopharyngeal incompetence. Augmenting scarred flaps with adjacent tissue improved speech outcomes in four patients, restoring normal velopharyngeal function.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Plastic Surgery
Background:
- Pharyngeal flap surgery effectively treats hypernasality and nasal escape.
- Scarring (cicatricial contracture) can cause flap failure and return of velopharyngeal incompetence.
- A subset of patients require revision or additional surgical intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel surgical technique for augmenting scarred pharyngeal flaps.
- To evaluate the efficacy of this augmentation in restoring velopharyngeal function.
- To assess speech outcomes following the augmentation procedure.
Main Methods:
- A surgical method involving augmentation of scarred pharyngeal flaps with small, superiorly based lateral flaps was devised.
- Speech analysis was performed preoperatively.
- Postoperative speech analysis was conducted over a 9 to 24-month follow-up period for four patients.
Main Results:
- All four patients demonstrated speech results within normal limits postoperatively.
- The augmentation technique successfully addressed velopharyngeal incompetence caused by flap contracture.
- Sustained improvement in speech was observed during the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- Augmenting scarred pharyngeal flaps with adjacent tissue is an effective method to restore velopharyngeal function.
- This technique offers a viable solution for patients experiencing recurrent velopharyngeal incompetence due to flap contracture.
- The described surgical approach yields positive and lasting speech outcomes.
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