title: Speech outcome after early repair of cleft soft palate using Furlow technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The earlier closure of palatal cleft is the better the speech outcome and the less compensatory articulation errors, however dissection on the hard palate may interfere with facial growth. In Furlow palatoplasty, dissection on the hard palate is not needed and surgery is usually limited to the soft palate, so the technique has no deleterious effect on the facial growth. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Furlow palatoplasty technique on the speech of young infants with cleft soft palate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one infants with cleft soft palate were included in this study, their ages ranged from 3 to 6 months. Their clefts were repaired using Furlow technique. The patients were followed up for at least 4 years; at the end of the follow up period they were subjected to flexible nasopharyngoscopy to assess the velopharyngeal closure and speech analysis using auditory perceptual assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen cases (85.7%) showed complete velopharyngeal closure, 1 case (4.8%) showed borderline competence, and 2 cases (9.5%) showed borderline incompetence. Normal resonance has been attained in 18 patients (85.7%), and mild hypernasality in 3 patients (14.3%), no patients demonstrated nasal emission of air. Speech therapy was beneficial for cases with residual hypernasality; no cases needed secondary corrective surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Furlow palatoplasty at a younger age has favorable speech outcome with no detectable morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. mosabeez@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mosaad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel-Aziz
mesh_terms: D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*