EXAMINING THE INSERTION SITE OF PHARYNGOPLASTIES AS AN OUTCOME FOR DETERMINING SUCCESS

The aims of this study are 1) to examine the feasibility of using volumetric analyses to determine optimal placement of surgery along the palatal plane relative to C1; 2) to determine the extent of inferior migration of the pharyngoplasty following surgery. It is hypothesized that there will be a significant difference between two post-surgical time points indicating a significant inferior migration of the pharyngoplasty. These data will provide preliminary data for a large scale study to investigate the effect of external forces on the final positioning of the pharyngoplasty. It is well established that pharyngoplasties positioned below the level of palatal plane are suboptimal and often result in a surgical revision. A notable limitation to prior investigations is the inability to quantify the migration of the flap over time. The advancements in MRI allow for safe, non-invasive techniques to provide detailed imaging of the velopharyngeal mechanism without exposing a child to radiation. Our research team has further developed protocols to safely scan children without the use of sedation. Utilizing these these advancements, we hypothesize that surgeries placed at C1 likely result in a pharyngoplasty below the level of palatal plane, resulting in suboptimal outcomes.

Scholars @ ECU