What does Velopharyngeal dysfunction result?

Velopharyngeal dysfunction causes a leak of sound and/or air into the nose during speech. It can cause several speech problems, including: Hypernasality, where there is too much sound in the nose during speech. Nasal emission of air when making certain speech sounds.

What are the symptoms of Velopharyngeal dysfunction?

What are the symptoms of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)?

• Nasal grimace, which is an attempt to tighten the facial muscles that makes talking look like hard work.
• Talking more loudly or less loudly.
• Substituting sounds that are easier to make for the correct sound.

What is the most commonly used surgical procedure for correction of Velopharyngeal insufficiency?

The most common surgical procedures for correcting VPI are pharyngeal flap and sphincter pharyngoplasty and it has been reported that with either of these surgical techniques a successful outcome can be achieved in around 90% of the cases.

How long is Pharyngoplasty surgery?

The procedure is done in the operating room with your child under general anesthesia. It takes about 1 to 2 hours. The stitches placed during surgery will dissolve on their own.

How do you fix velopharyngeal dysfunction?

VPI is treated with surgery or a special speech appliance that your child wears in their mouth. VPM is treated with speech therapy. VP incompetence is treated with speech therapy and sometimes with a speech appliance or surgery.

How do you fix Velopharyngeal insufficiency?

Treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency consists of speech therapy and surgical correction by a palatal elongation pushback procedure, posterior pharyngeal wall implant, pharyngeal flap, or pharyngoplasty, depending on the mobility of the lateral pharyngeal walls, the degree of velar elevation, and the size of the …

How do you fix velopharyngeal insufficiency?

How do I strengthen my velum?

Soft palate exercises Puff out your cheeks with air; continue to breathe in and out of your nose. Try yourself, or get someone else, to press a finger against your inflated cheeks. Remember to keep your lips firmly together. Do not allow the air to escape through your mouth or nose.

What is the purpose of a pharyngoplasty?

A pharyngoplasty aims to reduce the space behind the palate so less air escapes during speech. Other children with nasal speech, not caused by a cleft palate, can also benefit from the pharyngoplasty operation.

What is a Furlow Palatoplasty?

Furlow Palatoplasty (Double-Reversing Z-Plasty) This procedure involves a plastic surgical technique, which was traditional used for cleft palates, to lengthen and thicken the soft palate and realign abnormal placement of the palatal muscles in order to allow the palate touch the back of throat naturally.

How do you fix VPI?

Surgery is commonly needed to improve VPI. The most common types of surgery for VPI are furlow palatoplasty, sphincter pharyngoplasty, pharyngeal flap, or a posterior pharyngeal wall injection augmentation. The size and shape of the velopharyngeal gap will dictate the type of surgery that is necessary.

Why is Velopharyngeal closure important?

Velopharyngeal closure (VPC) is an important part of speech. If VPC is inadequate, air is allowed to escape through the nose during the generation of consonants requiring high oral pressure, leading to inappropriate nasal resonance during speech production.