Long-Term Follow-Up Study of Young Adults Treated for Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip, Alveolus, and Palate by a Treatment Protocol Including Two-Stage Palatoplasty: Speech Outcomes
Archives of Plastic Surgery
;
: 202-209, 2017.
Article
in English
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-14735
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
No consensus exists on the optimal treatment protocol for orofacial clefts or the optimal timing of cleft palate closure. This study investigated factors influencing speech outcomes after two-stage palate repair in adults with a non-syndromal complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).METHODS:
This was a retrospective analysis of adult patients with a UCLP who underwent two-stage palate closure and were treated at our tertiary cleft centre. Patients ≥17 years of age were invited for a final speech assessment. Their medical history was obtained from their medical files, and speech outcomes were assessed by a speech pathologist during the follow-up consultation.RESULTS:
Forty-eight patients were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 21 years (standard deviation, 3.4 years). Their mean age at the time of hard and soft palate closure was 3 years and 8.0 months, respectively. In 40% of the patients, a pharyngoplasty was performed. On a 5-point intelligibility scale, 84.4% received a score of 1 or 2; meaning that their speech was intelligible. We observed a significant correlation between intelligibility scores and the incidence of articulation errors (P<0.001). In total, 36% showed mild to moderate hypernasality during the speech assessment, and 11%–17% of the patients exhibited increased nasalance scores, assessed through nasometry.CONCLUSIONS:
The present study describes long-term speech outcomes after two-stage palatoplasty with hard palate closure at a mean age of 3 years old. We observed moderate long-term intelligibility scores, a relatively high incidence of persistent hypernasality, and a high pharyngoplasty incidence.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Palate
/
Palate, Soft
/
Clinical Protocols
/
Incidence
/
Retrospective Studies
/
Follow-Up Studies
/
Cleft Lip
/
Cleft Palate
/
Palate, Hard
/
Consensus
Type of study:
Practice guideline
/
Incidence study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Archives of Plastic Surgery
Year:
2017
Type:
Article
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