Surgical Treatments for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Patients with Cleft Palate

Park, Young-Wook

doi:2021.59.3.162

J Korean Dent Assoc > Volume 59(3); 2021 > Article

The Journal of The Korean Dental Association 2021;59(3):162-169.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22974/jkda.2021.59.3.004 Published online February 28, 2021.

구개열 환자에서 구개인두기능부전을 위한 수술치료

박영욱

강릉원주대학교 치과대학 구강악안면외과학교실

Surgical Treatments for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Patients with Cleft Palate

Young-Wook Park

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University

Correspondence: Young-Wook Park, Tel: +82-33-640-3183,
Email: ywpark@gwnu.ac.kr

Abstract

The velopharyngeal mechanism is a muscular valve extending from the posterior bony palate to the posterior pharynx, which congenitally disrupted in cleft palate deformity. Velopharyngeal insufficiency(VPI), defined as the inability to completely close the velopharyngeal sphincter that separates the oropharynx and the naso- pharynx. Despite primary palatoplasty, VPI can be remained and cause the problems of so called “cleft palate speech”. To treat the cleft palate speech, surgery plays an definitive role in combined with the speech therapy. In this paper, the author introduces various surgical methods of pharyngoplasty and their clinical significances with appropriate cases.

Key Words: Velopharyngeal insufficiency; Cleft palate speech; Pharyngoplasty