Abstract
The intentions of surgery for the cleft palate patient include both closure of the cleft, and acquisition of favorable velopharyngeal function, that is normal speech. As an index for evaluating normal speech, we examine the velopharyngeal function, but use hypernasality which is highly correlated for clinical judgment. There has already been much research into speech disorder of patients with cleft lip and palate, but, there has been no report regarding the influence of confounding factors. In this research, stratified analyses have been made regarding postoperative hypernasality and confounding factors in 155 cases. The following factors are listed in the clinical records : patients attributes (sex, birth weight, degree of palate dehiscence, age at surgery), surgical technique and findings of postoperative causes, (size of fistula, degree of push back, movement of soft palate) . No significant relation was observed between hypernasality and sex, birth weight, or size of fistula. Significant relations were observed between nasality and the degree of palate dehiscence, age at surgery, surgical technique, degree of push back and movement of soft palate. The factors with significant relation to hypernasality were further analyzed to identify the most confounding factor. As a result, it was concluded that age at surgery is related most closely and directly to the presence or absence of hypernasality, even if all of the various factors are considered.
