Tonsillectomy in children with or at risk for velopharyngeal insufficiency: Effects on speech

Autor: Saghi Samadani, Linda L. D'Antonio, Lynn S. Snyder
Rok vydání: 1996
Předmět:
Zdroj: Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 115:319-323
ISSN: 1097-6817
0194-5998
DOI: 10.1016/s0194-5998(96)70045-1
Popis: Recent case reports have challenged the notion that tonsillectomy is contraindicated in patients with or at risk for velopharyngeal insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) on perceptual speech characteristics, aerodynamic measures, and endoscopic descriptions of velopharyngeal function in a clinical population. Fifteen children 4 to 10 years of age received preoperative and postoperative evaluations. Perceptual speech characteristics improved or remained the same for most variables. There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative ratings of hypernasality or frequency and severity of nasal emission. However, ratings of voice quality (pitch and breathiness) were significantly improved after surgery. Aerodynamic measures showed improvement or no change in velopharyngeal function for 12 of 15 children. Endoscopic assessment showed improvement or no change in velopharyngeal closure for 7 of 11 children tested. Cross-method analysis indicated that no single subject showed deterioration in velopharyngeal function in all three measures. The data from this investigation do not support the assumption that tonsillectomy is contraindicated for all children with or at risk for velopharyngeal insufficiency.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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