Management of Persistent Hypernasality After Pharyngeal Flap by Revision Palatoplasty With Use of MRI to Aid Surgical Decision Making

Objective: Describe surgical decision making and outcomes in a series of patients with persistent VPI after pharyngeal flap placement that were all treated with revision palatoplasty.

Design: Retrospective, case series.

Participants: Five patients with nonsyndromic cleft palate and persistent hypernasality following a pharyngeal flap. On MRI, 3 patients presented with an incohesive levator veli palatini muscle, and 4 patients had a pharyngeal flap that was below the palatal plane.

Interventions: One patient underwent straight-line intravelar veloplasty (IVVP), 2 patients underwent pharyngeal flap take-down and IVVP, and 2 patients underwent pharyngeal flap take-down and palate lengthening with buccal myomucosal flaps.

Main Outcome Measure: Pre- and postoperative resonance.

Results: Four of five patients (80%) achieved normal resonance 12 months postoperation.

Conclusions: Revision palatoplasty may be an effective approach for treating patients with persistent hypernasality following a pharyngeal flap. MRI may aid in surgical selection based on patient-specific anatomical findings.