Active clinical trials for "Velopharyngeal Insufficiency"

To assess safety of tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy result toVelopharyngeal Valve Mechanism. To predict and prevent post adenotonsillectomy velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Nasopharyngoscopic examination of the 20 patients with secondary VPI following 2 flap palatoplasty will be done for visualization of the velopharyngeal port, allowing assessment of the pattern and grade of velopharyngeal closure during speech and the presence or absence of a velopharyngeal gap and after VPI repair by Buccinator myomucosal flap with Furlow palatoplasty

Velopharyngeal insufficiency is defined as the inability of the soft palate to isolate the nasopharynx from the oropharynx. It is a frequent sequela in patients with a velopalatine cleft despite anatomical restoration of the soft palate by intravelar veloplasty at 6 months. If rehabilitation by a speech therapist is not successful, a pharyngoplasty can be discussed. In the last ten years, MRI was used in dynamic and static way, to analyzed velopharyngeal muscles, in particular Levator Veli Palatini. MRI could be used to identify the etiology of VPI in those patients, and thus allow personalized rehabilitation and surgical management. The aim of this study is to examine the differences in velopharyngeal motricity as well as velar muscles morphology, positioning, and symmetry of children with repaired cleft palate with different degrees of severity of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), and children with labial cleft (noncleft palate anatomy).

When the soft palate does not move enough because of a cleft palate or for unknown reasons, this can lead to a speech difference called velopharyngeal insufficiency. The purpose of this research study is to test if soft palate exercises using a hand help breathing device will help improve the ability of the soft palate to close the area between the throat and nose and help improve speech.

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) is the most common congenital malformation, with about one in 500 children born with CL/P in Sweden, corresponding to approximately 175 births annually. Depending on the extent of the cleft palate, the degree of functional loss varies, but both eating, hearing, speech, bite and appearance can be affected. Patients treated for isolated or combined cleft palate may suffer from velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which means difficulties in closing the passage between the oral and nasal cavities during speech. Velopharyngeal insufficiency is associated with hypernasality, audible nasal air leakage and weak articulation, which might lead to difficulties with communication and social stigmatization. The most common form of speech-improving surgery is a posterior based velopharyngeal flap, creating a bridge between the palate and the posterior pharyngeal wall to more easily compensate for the abnormal airflow through the nose during speech. However, surgical management of VPI is challenging, with variable success rates reported in the literature. In a retrospectively based questionnaire study on patients who underwent surgical treatment of VPI, 30% experienced only a small speech improvement or no improvement at all. In addition, postoperative speech impairment have also been reported, as well as perioperative bleeding and postoperative sleep apnea. Thus, selecting the patients who benefit most from speech-improving surgery is therefore of great importance. The aim with the current study is evaluation of speech function through patient- and parent-response outcome measurements following surgical treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency in children with isolated or combined cleft palate.

Elevation of the soft palate (the soft part of the roof of the mouth) during swallowing helps the Eustachian tube to open and keep the ear healthy. (The Eustachian tube is the normal tube running from the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat). When the soft palate does not move enough (due to a history of cleft palate or for unknown reasons), this can lead to speech problems. Also, because the Eustachian tube is not opening enough, fluid can accumulate in the middle ear, which requires treatment with ear tubes. The goal of this research study is to determine if soft palate exercises will help improve the ability of the soft palate to close the area between the throat and nose, like it is supposed to during speech and swallowing, and if this improves Eustachian tube opening.

To develop a remediation software program that is specific for correcting speech errors in patients with velopharyngeal dysfunction in the Arabic language and test its efficacy, on one group comparing pre and post results

When soft palate defects lead to palatal insufficiency, the patient's quality of life is affected by difficulties swallowing, hypernasality, and poor intelligibility of speech. If immediate surgical reconstruction is not an option, the patient may benefit from the placement of a rigid obturator prosthesis. Unfortunately, the residual muscle stumps are often unable to adequately move this stiff and inert obturator to properly restore the velopharyngeal valve function. The objective of this case report was to describe the use of a membrane obturator prosthesis that incorporates a dental dam to compensate for the soft palate defect.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a participation of a medical clown in videofluoroscopic examination of pediatric speech disorder such as velopharyngeal inadequacy, improves the collaboration of the pediatric patient, the patient's and the caregivers subjective experience, and the quality of the examination (shorter exposure to radiation, shorter time at the radiology suite, more accurate parameters retrieved from the imaging results).

The investigators want to compare two different surgical techniques for the treatment of a condition called velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). VPD is a condition in which the nasal part of the airway does not close properly during speaking and feeding. The current standard surgical management involves taking a pharyngeal flap from the back of the throat comprised of muscle and overlying mucosal tissue to create a functioning valve. The proposed technique would use only the mucosal/submucosal layer of the pharynx for the flap. This technique has been shown to be effective in animal models and it is hoped that it will lead to faster healing, lower complications and improved functional outcome for patients.