Submucous cleft palate

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Submucous cleft palate (SMCP) is a congenital condition affecting speech, often requiring surgical intervention.
• Hypernasality is a common consequence of SMCP, necessitating treatment to improve communication.
• Surgical techniques for SMCP aim to correct anatomical defects and improve velopharyngeal function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the speech outcomes of different surgical approaches for submucous cleft palate.
• To evaluate the efficacy of pharyngeal flap versus palatoplasty alone in managing hypernasality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 97 cases of submucous cleft palate.
• Analysis of surgical interventions, with 79 patients undergoing operations.
• Comparative assessment of speech results based on surgical technique.

Main Results:

• Pharyngeal flap surgery, whether combined with palatoplasty or performed alone, resulted in better speech outcomes.
• Palatoplasty alone was associated with less favorable speech results in patients with hypernasality.
• The study highlights the effectiveness of the pharyngeal flap in addressing velopharyngeal insufficiency in SMCP.

Conclusions:

• Pharyngeal flap augmentation is recommended for patients with submucous cleft palate experiencing hypernasality.
• Combined pharyngeal flap and palatoplasty offers improved speech results.
• Surgical choice significantly impacts speech intelligibility in SMCP patients.