Pharyngeal flap surgery: protocols, complications, and outcomes at the University of Iowa.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to assess complication rates and speech outcomes in patients undergoing pharyngeal flap surgery. Study design and setting We conducted a retrospective chart and database review at a tertiary craniofacial center.


METHODS
Eighty-seven patients were identified as having pharyngeal flaps between January 1990 and December 2000.


RESULTS
Complications were rare, with an overall rate of 3.4% for all children. Craniofacial database records were identified with a follow-up examination between 2 and 5 years. Forty-four patients were identified. Of this group, 81.8% demonstrated no evidence of hypernasality or mild hypernasality, and 84.1% demonstrated no evidence of hyponasality or only mild hyponasality. Preoperative and postoperative assessments showed a statistically significant difference in hypernasality at P < 0.001 with no significant difference in hyponasality.


CONCLUSIONS
Although sphincter pharyngoplasty procedures have gained a great deal of attention in the recent otolaryngologic literature, pharyngeal-flap procedures remain a valuable tool in the hands of surgeons dealing with velopharyngeal incompetence.
Otolaryngology Department PFP 21201, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. john-canady@uiowa.edu
John W
JW
Canady
Benjamin B
BB
Cable
Michael P
MP
Karnell
Lucy Hynds
LH
Karnell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000601:surgery; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid