Abstract
During past six years ten months,132 patients with cleft palate wearing speech aid to correct volopharyngeal incompetence were analyzed clinico statistically.
1. One hundred twenty five cases had been remained postoperatively velopharyngeal incompetency, but seven cases, submucous cleft palate all of them, were worn speech aid before operation.
2. Morphologically they were classified into four groups, that is, they were 22 cases with bilateral cleft lip and palate,62 with unilateral,40 with cleft palate and eight submucous cleft palate.
3. The age at wearing speech aid ranged from two years eight months to 53 years four months. Sixty percent of them were worn speech aid aged from two to six years.
4. One hundred twenty three cases had been operated at the other hospital and only two cases were operated in our clinic.
5. Primary palatoplasty was undergone in 51 cases (40.8%) aged one year and in 74 cases (59.2%) aged from one to two years.
6. The number of operation times before wearing speech aid was once in 103 cases (82.4%).
7. Presently, seventy cases were concluded speech therapy and seven cases acquired good speech without speech therapy after wearing speech aid.
8. Fourteen cases (10.6%) were able to remove speech aid after they corrected speech disorder. The age of wearing speech aid ranged from two years eight months to 11 years old, and average length of wearing time was two years three months, ranging from eight months to five years.
9. Seven cases could remove speech aid after following surgical procedures: push back operation (three cases), velopharyngeal sphincteroplasty (two cases), folded pharyngeal flap (two cases).
