While your child is in speech therapy your speech pathologist will notice escape of air during your child's speech. A more detailed evaluation will follow during your child's Team visit. If an air leak is detected, either a videofluoroscopy or nasoendoscopy will be performed. Videofluoroscopy is an X ray technique utilized to view the movement of the soft palate while your child is speaking. This X ray examination allows the speech pathologist and the plastic surgeon to view the movement of the soft palate and determine whether air is escaping behind the soft palate.
Surgical intervention involves an operation.
The pharyngeal flap, sphincter pharyngoplasty and palatal lengthening procedures are procedures which can help this problem to reduce the air leak behind the repaired soft palate, thereby improving the speech. Surgical intervention involves an operation. The pharyngeal flap, sphincter pharyngoplasty and palatal lengthening procedures are procedures which can help this problem to reduce the air leak behind the repaired soft palate, thereby improving the speech.