Speech and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Results following Autologous Fat Transplantation to the Velopharynx in Patients with Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

Abstract

Autologous fat transplantation to the velopharynx resulted in a significant reduction of the velopharyngeal distance and the velopharyngeal gap area during phonation, as measured by MRI. This was in accordance with a significant improvement in nasal turbulence. However, hypernasality and audible nasal emission did not change significantly and could not be correlated to the MRI findings.