Unilateral Orticochea Pharyngoplasty for Unilateral Velopharyngeal Dysfunction: Long-Term Outcomes Data

A unilateral deficit in velopharyngeal closure during speech production is an unusual presentation of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) and few solutions have been described for this problem. This report details the long-term outcomes using this technique. We performed a retrospective chart review of all the patients who underwent a unilateral Orticochea pharyngoplasty for VPD. The authors identified 10 patients treated with 11 unilateral pharyngoplasty at a single tertiary care institutional setting. The mean age at repair was 8.6 years. The mean length of follow-up was 7.6 years. All the patients demonstrated improvement in velopharyngeal closure and speech resonance with 4 showing complete resolution of VPD. There were no revisions required or complications. One patient, after 10.7 years, required a unilateral procedure on the contralateral side which resulted in complete resolution of VPD postoperatively.