A comparison of palatoplasty techniques.

The efficacy of palate lengthening procedures and intravelar veloplasty performed at the time of primary cleft palate repair was studied in a series of eighty patients by comparing speech results, pressure flow studies, and the ultimate need for pharyngeal flaps. The results indicate that intravelar veloplasty yields better speech through better velopharyngeal function and less frequent pharyngeal flap procedures.