[Velopharyngeal incompentance treated by the pharyngeal flap and the Orticochea pharyngoplasty--a comparison of speech results].

INTRODUCTION: Velopharyngeal insufficiency is observed in about 10-40% of patients treated for cleft palate. Opinions on the effectiveness of applied methods differ in the assessment of specialists involved in the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Since 2011, thirty-eight patients were treated for this defect at the Hospital of Polanica Zdrój. The report compares the effects of treatment by pharyngofixation and Orticochea's surgery. All the patients underwent prospective examinations--phoniatric evaluation with aural speech assessment, nasometry (using the device for objective and automatic nasality testing) as well as acoustic speech analysis (by means of MDVP). RESULTS: The effectiveness of both modalities of treatment was evidenced on the basis of statistical analysis of the findings of the perceptual speech evaluation as well as differences-- p > 1. Moreover, the statistical analysis of nasometric examinations revealed improvement achieved after the use of both methods, in this case Orticochea's method being considered slightly more effective-- p = 0.084. CONCLUSIONS: Concluding, both operations may be considered safe and effective in the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency in cleft palate patients.