Velopharyngeal Dysfunction in Hong Kong Children

Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) refers to the inadequate separation of the oral and nasal cavities during speech and/or swallowing. In children, it is often caused by structural and/or functional palate abnormalities. Children with surgically repaired congenital cleft palate are at risk of having residual VPD. We retrospectively review children with VPD at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital from 2020 to 2023. Twenty children suffered from VPD, 12 had history of congenital cleft palate with surgical repair in childhood, 8 had congenitally intact palates with genetically confirmed 22q11.2 microdeletion. Out of these 20 children, 2 declined surgical intervention, 13 opted for pharyngeal flap operation and 5 opted for Furlow palatoplasty. For those who opted for VPD corrective operations, all but one reported significantly reduced hypernasality post operatively. Our review suggests that regardless of the etiologies of their VPD, most children are able to achieve satisfactory speech after their VPD corrective surgeries.