Abstract
Nineteen patients with cleft palate, with or without cleft lip, who received re-pushback surgery for chronic velo-pharyngeal dysfunction were examined for speech production, velopharyngealf unction and cephalometricf indings. Of the 19 subjects,15 (79%)gained normal resonation and 14 (74%) showed normal or nearnormal speech. Fifteen (79%)gained sufficient velopharyngeal function and 2 (11%) showed moderate velopharyngeal function. Of the 10 subjects whose pre- and postoperative cephalograms were available, the ratio between velum length (PMF-U) and velopharyngeal distance (PMF-PPW) was increased in 8 (80%) and decreased in 2 (20%). In the latter 2 subjects, palatal fistula was developed after operation. In case of the patients without fistula, the velum was extended 0.7-0.9cm postoperatively and tended to lengthen with growth.
