Today we had the opportunity to hear from a surgeon on how cleft lip and palate surgery are completed. We learned about pharyngeal flap surgery and how an orticochea is made. He also talked about how it can be beneficial to use a nasoendscopy to see the client’s velopharyngeal closure and to see if a primary or secondary surgery is needed. Afterwards, Dr. Crowley and the rest of our supervisors led a class on conducting initial evaluations on a patient with cleft palate. Key components to an evaluation include building rapport, incorporating an oral peripheral exam to identify the structures or pathology that may be affecting speech, and identifying the sounds that the client has difficulty producing. Then, each clinician had the chance to practice the technique that they had learned earlier in a case study scenario.
Author: Chelsea Sommer
Prepping for Palates and Parents
May 16, 2015
After working ten hours yesterday, including collaborating with doctors and other professionals to determine whether the clients needed secondary surgery, we were ready to get started on therapy today. We determined that some of the clients were better candidates for therapy to see if it would improve their speech and others were recommended for speech to improve tongue placement before surgery. We decided on preemptive therapy so the clients would be prepared after their surgery. We saw clients with Velocardialfacial Syndrome and Treacher Collins as well as various degrees clefts and repaired clefts.
