Does pharyngoplasty work? Outcomes of 100 consecutive operations over 10 years

Velopharyngeal insufficiency is a commonly encountered problem in Cleft Surgery, with pharyngoplasty being the mainstay of surgical management. In this study we aim to investigate the indications and outcomes of a single institution's experience and compare to international literature.

A retrospective review was performed looking at over 100 consecutive primary pharyngoplasty operations for velopharyngeal dysfunction over a 10-year period at a single institution. Aetiology, peri-operative course and speech outcomes for the cohort between January 2010 through January 2020 were assessed. A comprehensive literature review was performed for comparison and analysis of the studies' data.

Ninety-seven consecutive patients were included in the study on which 103 operations were performed. Average age at time of surgery was 7.25 years old. Approximately 37% of the patients had a diagnosed syndrome, sequence or chromosomal abnormality. Ninety-seven of the 103 operations were primary pharyngoplasties, 4 were revision pharyngoplasties and 2 return to theatre procedures. Regarding speech outcomes, 51% of the patients that had formal speech assessments were found to have a significant improvement, 42% moderate improvement and 7% had no improvement. 93% of the patients that underwent pharyngoplasty in this study had significant or moderate improvement in speech outcomes. These speech outcomes and post-operative complications such as obstructive sleep apnoea are analysed.

This study demonstrates that pharyngoplasty is a safe procedure for velopharyngeal insufficiency with a good overall success rate. The major outcomes assessed including complications & safety, revision rate and speech outcomes are comparative to previous international studies.