• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.294-298
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• 2009

Purpose: The pharyngeal flap is one of the popular surgical method to treat the problem of velopharyngeal dysfunction. This study evaluated speech outcomes of patients who underwent superiorly based pharyngeal flap surgery based on timing of surgery. Methods: A restrospective review of 50 patients who underwent pharyngeal flap surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency between September 1996 and January 2008 was undertaken. Thirty patients with an available preoprative and postoperative speech assessments with at least 6 months of follow-up were included in this study. We checked out the significance of speech improvement after surgery analysing preoperative and postoperative scoring of speech assessment. We also investigated the direct relationship between the age at surgery and the degree of speech improvement, and the improvement score in different age groups. Results: The mean score of preoperative speech was $52.6{\pm}7.4points$ and postoperative speech was $58.6{\pm}6.5points$, which presented significant postoperative speech improvement with an average of 5.9 points(p<0.01). There was a significant inverse relationship between the age at operation and speech improvement degree(p<0.01, r = -0.54). Comparing the age groups, the age group of 4 to 5 years presented statistically significant speech improvement(p<0.01). Conclusion: we propose that all patients indicated should take pharyngeal flap irrespective of age. In this study, the younger the age at surgery, the higher degree of speech improvement, for which we suggest that surgical approach should be undertaken as early as possible, especially younger than age 5 years.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.198-202
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• 2012

Background : Maxillary hypoplasia refers to a deficiency in the growth of the maxilla commonly seen in patients with a repaired cleft palate. Those who develop maxillary hypoplasia can be offered a repositioning of the maxilla to a functional and esthetic position. Velopharyngeal dysfunction is one of the important problems affecting speech after maxillary advancement surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of maxillary advancement on repaired cleft palate patients without preoperative deterioration in speech compared with non-cleft palate patients. Methods : Eighteen patients underwent Le Fort I osteotomy between 2005 and 2011. One patient was excluded due to preoperative deterioration in speech. Eight repaired cleft palate patients belonged to group A, and 9 non-cleft palate patients belonged to group B. Speech assessments were performed preoperatively and postoperatively by using a speech screening protocol that consisted of a list of single words designed by Ok-Ran Jung. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine if there were significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative outcomes in each group A and B. And Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine if there were significant differences in the change of score between groups A and B. Results : No patients had any noticeable change in speech production on perceptual assessment after maxillary advancement in our study. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between groups A and B. Conclusions : Repaired cleft palate patients without preoperative velopharyngeal dysfunction would not have greater risk of deterioration of velopharyngeal function after maxillary advancement compared to non-cleft palate patients.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.338-345
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• 1991

Velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) is a condition of inadequate functional valving between the oral and nasal cavities that results in hypernasal speech and nasal air escape. VPI is caused by the following factors ; cleft palate, soft palate defect, pharyngomegaly, velopharyngeal sphincter muscle anomaly and maxillary advancement surgery, etc. Velopharyngeal function is assessed by a variety of measures that include speech evaluation, cephalogram, airflow study, videofluoroscopy and nasoendoscopy. The management of VPI is classified into four main groups ; prosthesis, insertion of implant, palatoplasty and pharyngoplasty. Pharyngeal flap is the most common surgical procedure for correcting VPI since Schoenborn's report in 1875. We report seven cases of VPI which were treated by modified modified superiorly based pharyngeal flap with good results.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.871-874
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• 2011

Purpose: In some patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), Hypernasality can persist after surgical management. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is applied to these patients for treating hypernasality. The purpose of this study is to report follow-up results of postoperative CPAP therapy. Methods: After performing palatal lengthening, CPAP therapy was applied to three patients for eight weeks from July of 2008 to November of 2009. Perceptual evaluation, nasometry, and nasopharyngeal endoscopy were performed to evaluate hypernasality, nasalance and size of the gap at velopharyngeal port. Each evaluation was made before surgery, right after CPAP therapy and during follow-up of more than a year after CPAP therapy. Results: All of the patients showed improvement in hypernasality right after CPAP therapy according to the auditory perceptual evaluation, nasometry and nasopharyngeal endoscopy. But the improvement in hypernasality in these patients did not last during follow-up. Conclusion: In this study, our results suggest that CPAP therapy is effective in reducing hypernasality for postoperative VPI patients immediately after the therapy, but hypernasality may be worsen in some patients during follow-up. Therefore we recommend follow-ups after CPAP therapy to see if the efficacy of CPAP therapy lasts.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2012

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is improper closure of velopharynx during the phonation and swallowing due to various causes, especially appeared in cleft palate patients. The several surgical techniques and speech therapy can be considered in treatment of VPI. The surgical techniques such as Furlow's double opposing Z-plasty, pharyngeal flap, push-back palatoplasty, etc. have been widely used when the speech therapy is not so much effective. However, there is considerable variability in the methods for evaluation and in success criteria making difficult to compare among surgical techniques. This article reviewed the recent articles about comparing the surgical techniques in treatment of VPI. Although there is no significant difference in speech assessment by speech pathologist, Furlow's double opposing Z-plasty is a useful technique especially diminishing hypernasality and nasal emission.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2012

Le Fort 1 osteotomy or maxillary advancement with distraction osteogenesis (DO) is main treatment strategy for cleft palate patients with maxillary hypoplasia. Maxillary DO allows greater maxillary advancement within physiological limit than Le Fort 1 osteotomy. Moreover, it is better for velopharyngeal function. However, there is a greater tendency for an increase in nasal sound when maxilla is advanced excessively. Therefore, the advancement of anterior maxillary segment using DO has been utilized. It offers advantages such as an increase in the length of the palate, a prevention of the change in palatopharyngeal depth, and a preservation of the velopharyngeal function. Moreover, it will obliterate the necessity of bone graft, and it prevents the occurrence of oronasal or oroantral fistula. Finally, it stimulates the regeneration of the soft and hard tissue of alveolus, and subsequently makes possible to place implant.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.51-60
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• 2000

Assessment of speech nasality provides important information for the treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence. The perceptual judgement of nasality is still used in assessment of velopharyngeal incompetence, but it should not be the sole criterion for speech nasality. Objective procedures may be used to assess velopharyngeal function, in examples nasometer, aerodynamics, x-ray, electromyography, nasoendoscopy and videofluoroscopy etc, The aim of this study was to obtain comprehensive nasalance data for the Korean children, aged 7 years and to investigate any tonsil differences within that age group. The results were as follow: The nasalance of the children in respect of the tonsil was higher in grade III than grade I in vowels (/i/, /u/, /wi/), plosives (/p'/, /t'/, /k'/), affricatives (/c'/) and fricatives (/s/, /∫/). (p<0.05)

• Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2002

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is one of the popular surgical procedure for snoring and sleep apnea syndrome. The main principle of this procedure is to reduce abundant velopharyngeal soft tissues resulting in a shortened soft palate, which may cause some alterations in speech sound. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the change of velopharyngeal function after UPPP in the view of aerodynamics. Thirty three patients who received uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for correcting snoring and sleep apnea were included in this study. The airflow, airflow rate and air pressure during the production of oral and nasal consonants were measured before surgery and 4 week and 8 week after surgery. The oral air flows and pressures for oral and nasal consonants were not changed after surgery. However, oral air pressure for nasal consonants were increased significantly after surgery. The nasal air flows for oral consonants were not changed after surgery, but for nasal consonants were decreased at 8 weeks after surgery. The nasal flow rate for oral and nasal consonants were increased at 8 weeks after surgery. The uvulopalatopharyngoplasty may result in affecting the aerodynamic air streams during speech production.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1991.06a
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• pp.22-22
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• 1991

구개열 및 구개근의 기능부전 등에 의한 인두문(velopharyngeal valve)의 폐쇄부전으로 인하여 발생하는 구개범인두부전증(velopharyngeal insufficiency)은 흔히 과비성으로 알려진 구음장애를 나타내는 병적현상으로 Von Langenbeck(1861)이 구개 외측 점막성 골막편을, Smith(1895) 와 Ganzer(1920)는 각각 구개 4-판 및 3-판 점막성 골막편을 이용한 수술적 치료법을 통하여 구음장애를 해결하여 주려하였고, 그외 인두후벽의 증대 및 언어보조기 등을 이용한 방법으로 구음장애를 해결하여 주려는 연구가 최근까지 활발하게 이루어지고 있으나 만족할 만한 성적을 거두지 못하고 있는 실정에 있다. 이에 저자들은 구개범인두부전증에 대한 수술적 치료후 증상의 호전정도를 관찰하고, 술후에도 증상의 호전을 보이지 않는 환자의 음성재활에 대한 향후 방향제시에 도움을 주고자 1987년 1월부터 1991년 1월까지 과비성을 주소로 본원 이비인후과에 내원하여 구개성형술을 시행받고 3개월 이상 추적 관찰이 가능하였던 14례의 환자를 분석한 결과 구개범인두부전에 대하여 1차 수술을 시행받은 14례중 5례(36%)에서 정상적인 구음이 가능하였으며 실패한 9례중 5례에 대하여는 재 수술을 시행하였으나 만족할 만한 음성회복을 거두지 못하여 그 원인과 저자들의 술식을 분석 검토함으로써 구개범인두부전증의 치료에 대한 보다 효율적인 방법을 모색하고자 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.188-192
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• 2022

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is a phenomenon that can occur due to anatomical or neurological causes of the soft palate. VPI can make the patient difficult to articulate through hypernasality and nasal emission. There has been needed the customized treatment, as VPI can occur for many causes. We present the case of 21-year-old male who took palate plastic surgery 20 years ago for congenital submucosal cleft palate. As he had poor contraction of both lateral side of velopharynx, he was diagnosed with coronal type VPI. Through sphincter pharyngoplasty, he can obtain improvement of articulation accuracy. We would like to share this challenged case.