Survey of velopharyngeal function and articulation in patients with cleft palate in Kochi prefecture.

概要

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It is desirable for patients with cleft lip and palate to have some medical center facility to analyze their needs and arrange for appropriate surgical treatment and speech therapy.This report describes the actual medical situation in Kochi prefecture where no large medical center had existed until Kochi Medical School was established, in 1981. A survey was done based on the medical records of cleft palate patients who visited the Department of Otolaryngology of Kochi Medical School from 1982 to 1984. The investigation included: 1. details of surgical history such as age, hospital name and method of operation, 2, velopharyngeal function, 3. articulation disorders. The results of the survey indicated that many patients had secondary oral operation, such as pharyngeal flap, from two to six times in various hospitals, some facilities were far from Kochi prefecture. Their physical, mental and economic burdens should not be overlooked. However, in spite of the bad results of the primary operation, their speech was fairly good mainly because of competent velopharyngeal function obtained by pharyngeal flap and also because of local community activities including speech therapists in the public school systems, public health nurses, etc.