title: Subjective outcomes after treatment for velopharyngeal dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) can have various causes and may be a significant disability for the affected patient. Treatment options include surgery and speech therapy, but the success rates are often inconsistent.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, self-assessment questionnaires were sent out to 222 Swedish patients with VPD. The questionnaire included questions about satisfaction with speech, perceived speech quality, perceived improvement from VPD-surgery, and/or speech therapy. Out of 117 (52.7%) respondents, 114 (51.4%) patients were included in the study. The participants were 7-71 years of age (median = 14 years), diagnosed with cleft palate, neurological/developmental delay, congenital hypernasality, or acquired VPD. All patients had previously undergone videofluoroscopy, and 61.4% had undergone VPD-surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-one per cent of the patients perceived their speech to be normal or slightly deviant, but only 55% were satisfied with their speech. Sixty per cent of the operated on patients felt that the treatment had improved their speech much or very much, 10% thought that they had moderate improvement, and 30% stated that they had no or little improvement. Out of the patients that had received speech therapy, 41% felt that the treatment had improved their speech much or very much, 21% thought that they had moderate improvement, and 33% stated that they had no or little improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, most patients with VPD in this study who underwent evaluation and treatment felt that surgery and speech therapy had improved their speech, but only about half of them were in the end satisfied with the quality of their speech.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, University of Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stiernman
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klintö
authors.forename: Ahmed D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Al Qatani
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schönmeyr
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013070:Speech Therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: satisfaction; self-assessment questionnaire; speech; speech therapy; velopharyngeal dysfunction; velopharyngeal flap-surgery