title: Long-term effect of pharyngeal flap surgery on craniofacial and nasopharyngeal morphology in patients with cleft palate.
abstract: The craniofacial morphology of 48 consecutive adult males with isolated cleft palate was studied by means of lateral cephalograms at the mean age of 18.8 years. Twelve of the patients had received pharyngeal flap surgery between 4 and 12 years of age (mean age 6 years) to improve speech. No significant differences were noticed in craniofacial cephalometric relations between the patients who had not had velopharyngeal flap surgery (VPF-) and those who had (VPF+), although the latter showed a tendency toward a more vertical growth direction. In the pharynx, the VPF+ group showed larger sagittal depths of nasopharyngeal airway but smaller depths of oropharyngeal airway. The differences were significant at the levels of the upper nasopharynx and lower oropharynx. According to the hospital records, none of the patients demonstrated persistent airway obstruction. Cephalometry may be useful in evaluating the changes in pharyngeal airway dimensions that may be related to velopharyngeal flap surgery.
authors.affiliation: Cleft Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. arja.heliovaara@mbnet.fi
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heliövaara
authors.forename: Marja-Leena
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Haapanen
authors.forename: Jyri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hukki
authors.forename: Reijo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002508:Cephalometry; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery