The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fat injections in the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). The study involved 10 patients (6 adults aged 19-48 years and 4 children aged 5-13 years) with mild/moderate VPI who were injected with 3.5 to 8 mL of fat in the posterior, lateral pharyngeal walls and soft palate under general anaesthesia. A second fat-grafting procedure was performed in 2 patients to achieve further improvement. Nasoendoscopy revealed a reduction in the closure gap in all patients, and the perceptual evaluation demonstrated improved speech intelligibility and resonance and reduced nasal air leakage in all cases (P < .005). The aerodynamic assessment showed a significant reduction in nasal airflow during phonation (P < .05). Follow-up was 6 to 23 months. In conclusion, fat injections improved voice resonance and reduced nasal air escape in all treated cases and can be a promising alternative to major procedures, such as velopharyngoplasties, for the treatment of mild/moderate VPI.

Treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency by pharyngeal and velar fat injections / G. Cantarella, R.F. Mazzola, M. Mantovani, G. Baracca, L. Pignataro. - In: OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY. - ISSN 0194-5998. - 145:3(2011 Sep), pp. 401-403. ((Intervento presentato al convegno Annual Meeting of the American-Academy-of-Otolaryngology-Head-and-Neck-Surgery-Foundation-and-OTO-EXPO tenutosi a Boston nel 2010.

Treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency by pharyngeal and velar fat injections

G. Cantarella;R.F. Mazzola
Secondo
;
L. Pignataro
Ultimo
2011

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fat injections in the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). The study involved 10 patients (6 adults aged 19-48 years and 4 children aged 5-13 years) with mild/moderate VPI who were injected with 3.5 to 8 mL of fat in the posterior, lateral pharyngeal walls and soft palate under general anaesthesia. A second fat-grafting procedure was performed in 2 patients to achieve further improvement. Nasoendoscopy revealed a reduction in the closure gap in all patients, and the perceptual evaluation demonstrated improved speech intelligibility and resonance and reduced nasal air leakage in all cases (P < .005). The aerodynamic assessment showed a significant reduction in nasal airflow during phonation (P < .05). Follow-up was 6 to 23 months. In conclusion, fat injections improved voice resonance and reduced nasal air escape in all treated cases and can be a promising alternative to major procedures, such as velopharyngoplasties, for the treatment of mild/moderate VPI.
velopharyngeal insufficiency; fat injection; hypernasality
Settore MED/31 - Otorinolaringoiatria
set-2011
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/179652
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