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.
Category: Colombia and Ecuador
Segunda parte de la misión
We arrived safely in Quito, Ecuador yesterday and spent the afternoon exploring artisan markets and “la mitad del mundo.” We were excited to arrive in Ecuador to share the knowledge we gained in Neiva, Colombia with speech pathologists from Ecuador and Peru.
An Unforgettable Experience
Being in Colombia has given us the opportunity to witness the impact that parent training has on children with cleft palate speech. We have been providing parents with strategies and techniques to practice with their children at home. Within a few days, we have been able to see great improvements on many of our clients. Their motivation and commitment has been inspiring to us all.
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.
Getting ready for Neiva, Colombia and Quito, Ecuador
Healing the Children Mission to Neiva, Colombia
This year Catherine Crowley and her team accompanied Healing the Children surgical mission to Neiva, Columbia. Healing the children is not a typical cleft palate repair mission. Traditionally, a cleft palate team would travel to a developing country and do many dozens of cleft lip and palate repairs and then return to their home country. However, a child with a repaired cleft lip or palate actually requires onoing therapy, monitoring and often further surgery in order for the repair to be successful. Without this type of long-term support, many children do not learn to talk intelligibly, despite the repair and can even develop fistulas (holes) as they grow. Healing the Children instead conducts annual trips back to Neiva. This was their 21st trip and Cate’s 2nd trip back. They work with the same patients each year while providing therapy and further surgery, including later revisions, bone augmentation and orthodonture.
Cate’s team was there for the second year and offered a 5 day training course for fonoaudiologists (speech therapists). The fonoaudiologists learned the specific knowledge and skills they will need to provide quality services to children with repaired cleft palate.Classes were given in the morning and then the clinicians provided services, including language stimulation, in the afternoon to patients.
