Two-stage palatal surgery with early veloplasty and delayed hard palate repair: A balanced view on speech and midfacial growth outcome

• Today, there is general consensus that, particularly, the protocol for repair of the palate is crucial for normal speech development and adequate long-term midfacial growth in individuals affected with cleft lip and palate (CLP). About 90 years ago, a new two-stage palatal repair method was introduced. It was characterized by early veloplasty and later closure of the hard palate. Recent follow-up studies of this regimen have revealed excellent long-term outcome regarding maxillary growth and also satisfactory speech development, even if the hard palate surgery was delayed to the stage of early mixed dentition. A speech deviation, coined as “retracted oral articulation of anterior pressure consonants,” seemed to be a relatively common speech error, temporarily affecting about one third of our preschool children born with unilateral CLP. The prevalence of other, more severe cleft speech characteristics, such as symptoms of and related to velopharyngeal incompetence and the occurrence of glottal misarticulations in particular, was very low.

Ämnesord

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

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

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