title: Correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency with furlow palatoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the authors' experience with Furlow palatoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of 8 cases over a 3-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional private practice hospital affiliated with a teaching university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients aged 4 to 14 years with symptoms and signs of velopharyngeal insufficiency underwent Furlow palatoplasty. Four patients had submucous or soft palate clefts without previous intervention. Four patients had undergone previous surgery for cleft palate.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients underwent Furlow palatoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fiberoptic nasopharyngeal examination and speech analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of 8 patients exhibited good palate closure and marked improvement in speech. One patient exhibited good closure but had mild nasal emission and hypernasality, which responded to speech therapy after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Furlow palatoplasty is a useful technique for the correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: McLeod Regional Medical Center of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Pee Dee, Florence, SC.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lindsey
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*