Retrospective evaluation of velopharyngeal insufficiency treated with Orticochea pharyngoplasty in cleft palate patients

This study evaluated the outcomes of perceptual speech, breathing, snoring, and nasal regurgitation following Orticochea pharyngoplasty, and investigated patient characteristics associated with the resolution or improvement of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in cleft patients. The study involved a retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent Orticochea pharyngoplasty for VPI management between 2016 and 2024 in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Woman-Mother-Child Hospital, Lyon, France. Demographic data, speech and breathing characteristics, and the presence of snoring and nasal regurgitation were recorded using a standardized protocol. Preoperative and postoperative VPI severity was assessed using the Borel-Maisonny scale. All 89 patients included in the study had at least minimal VPI preoperatively (stage IIB), with 83% graded as having moderate or severe VPI. Improvement was observed in 88.76% of the patients after one surgery, and in 98.9% following a second surgery. Orticochea pharyngoplasty improved physiological breathing rates by 22% and reduced nasal regurgitation in 75% of the cases. This indicated that Orticochea pharyngoplasty is a reliable, safe, and reproducible surgical technique.