Surgical management of velopharyngeal insufficiency following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty: report of three cases.

Abstract

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is a surgical procedure that has a role in the management of obstructive sleep apnea and chronic snoring. A recognized complication of the procedure is postoperative velopharyngeal insufficiency. In this paper, three patients who have required corrective surgery for this problem are presented, and their management is discussed. The rehabilitation discussion was tailored to the clinical findings being either a pharyngeal flap in one case and a modified sphincter pharyngoplasty in the other two. The condition of all three patients was considerably improved, but two had mild residual velopharyngeal incompetence.