Citations 2
Assessing the Impact of LeFort I Osteotomy on Velopharyngeal Function in Patients With Cleft Palate
Chee-Williams, Jessica L. , Tymous, Kayla, Lien, Kari M. , Cordero, Kelly Nett , Kurnik, Nicole M. , Gilliland, Jared M., Chee-Williams, Jessica L , Cordero, Kelly N , Kurnik, Nicole , Singh, Davinder , Sitzman, Thomas J.
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery | August 8, 2025 | Volume: 37 | Issue: 3/4 | Pages: 479-484
Objective: Describe changes in symptoms of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)—hypernasality, audible nasal emission, and VPI-related quality of life—following LeFort I osteotomy in individuals with cleft palate +/- cleft lip. Design: Single-center, retrospective cohort study. Participants: Twenty-one patients with a history of cleft palate repaired in infancy were included in this study. Ten patients had no prior history of VPI surgery and eleven had a pharyngeal flap in place at the time of LeFort I osteotomy. The mean age at time of surgery was 17.2 years. Main Outcome Measure: Pre- and postoperative hypernasality severity, frequency of audible nasal emission, and total score on the VPI Effects on Life Outcomes youth questionnaire (VELO-Y) before and after LeFort osteotomy I. Fischer exact test was used to assess differences between groups for categorical variables and a t test was used for continuous variables. Results: Patients with no prior history of VPI management had a significant increase in hypernasality severity compared with those with a pharyngeal flap in place at the time of surgery ( P =0.004). Patients without a prior history of VPI management also had a significant increase in frequency of audible nasal emission, while patients with a pharyngeal flap had decreased audible nasal emission ( P =0.004). There was not a significant difference between groups for change in the total score on the VELO-Y ( P =0.16). Conclusions: Findings from this study may improve preoperative counseling provided to patients and caregivers on the risk of acquiring VPI after LeFort I osteotomy based on prior VPI surgical history.
Standardization of Videorecorded Speech Samples for Children with Cleft Palate: Methods to Facilitate High-Quality Speech Outcomes Data Collection
Baylis, Adriane L. , Cummings, Caitlin E., Lien, Kari M. , Sitzman, Thomas J. , Kirschner, Richard E. , Chapman, Kathy , Chapman, Kathy L , Sitzman, Thomas J , Cummings, Caitlin A.
The Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal | November 28, 2023 | Volume: 61 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 2090-2096
Background Collection of high-quality videorecorded speech samples is essential for speech outcomes research. Solution Cleft palate team SLPs were trained to collect standard videorecorded speech samples in the clinic setting across 20 sites in North America. Standard training and equipment was provided. What We Did That is New Quality management procedures were developed and utilized to verify video quality and protocol adherence. Over 97% of speech samples collected by trained SLPs met defined quality standards.