Voice quality in adults treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate : Long-Term Follow-Up After One- or Two-Stage Palate Repair

• Objectives: The aim of the current study was to assess voice quality among adults treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), after 1- or 2-stage palate closure, and compare it to a noncleft control group.Study Design: Cross-sectional study in UCLP patients with long-term follow-up and noncleft controls.Participants: UCLP patients born 1960-1987, treated at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, were examined (n = 73) at a mean of 35 years after primary surgery. Forty-seven patients (64%) had been treated with 1-stage palate closure and 26 with 2-stage closure (36%). The noncleft control group consisted of 63 age-matched volunteers.Main Outcome Measure(s): Ratings of perceptual voice characteristics from blinded voice recordings with Swedish Voice Evaluation Approach (SVEA) method. Acoustic voice analysis including pitch and spectral measures.Results: Among the patients, the mean values for the 12 evaluated variables on a VAS scale (0 = no abnormality, 100 = maximal abnormality) ranged between 1 and 22 and the mean for all was 6 mm. Voice variables were similar between patients and controls except the total mean of all the perceptual voice variables, as well as “vocal fry”—both slightly lower among patients (P = .018 and P = .009). There was no difference in any variable between patients treated with 1-stage and 2-stage palate closure. No clear relationship was found between VPI and dysphonia.Conclusion: The voice characteristics among adults treated for UCLP in childhood are not different from those of individuals without cleft.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Oto-rhino-laryngologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Otorhinolaryngology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

unilateral cleft lip and palate

adult

long-term

voice

palate repair

Oto-Rhino-Laryngology

Oto-rhino-laryngologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)