Voice Quality in Adults Treated for Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Long-term Follow-up After 1- or 2-Stage Palate Repair.

Voice Quality in Adults Treated for Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Long-term Follow-up After 1- or 2-Stage Palate Repair.

Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2018 Jan 01;:1055665618754946

Authors: Morén S, Lindestad PÅ, Holmström M, Mani M

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to assess voice quality among adults treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), after 1- or 2-stage palate closure, and compare it to a noncleft control group.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study in UCLP patients with long-term follow-up and noncleft controls.
PARTICIPANTS: UCLP patients born 1960-1987, treated at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, were examined (n = 73) at a mean of 35 years after primary surgery. Forty-seven patients (64%) had been treated with 1-stage palate closure and 26 with 2-stage closure (36%). The noncleft control group consisted of 63 age-matched volunteers.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ratings of perceptual voice characteristics from blinded voice recordings with Swedish Voice Evaluation Approach (SVEA) method. Acoustic voice analysis including pitch and spectral measures.
RESULTS: Among the patients, the mean values for the 12 evaluated variables on a VAS scale (0 = no abnormality, 100 = maximal abnormality) ranged between 1 and 22 and the mean for all was 6 mm. Voice variables were similar between patients and controls except the total mean of all the perceptual voice variables, as well as "vocal fry"-both slightly lower among patients ( P = .018 and P = .009). There was no difference in any variable between patients treated with 1-stage and 2-stage palate closure. No clear relationship was found between VPI and dysphonia.
CONCLUSION: The voice characteristics among adults treated for UCLP in childhood are not different from those of individuals without cleft.

PMID: 29461876 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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