Prosthetic Management of Pharyngeal Flap–Related Snoring

Abstract

Objective: The obturating pharyngeal flap used in correcting velopharyngeal insufficiency has been implicated in creating difficulty in nasal breathing for some patients and/or in causing hyponasal speech, obstructive sleep apnea, and snoring. This is a case report of an individually designed removable prosthesis that positions an acrylic tube through each port lateral to the pharyngeal flap, with the goal of preventing the collapse of the ports during sleep and the consequent snoring. Design: The acrylic tubes maintain an opening through both lateral ports preventing the soft tissues of the lateral walls from vibrating against the pharyngeal flap (causing the snoring sound) and allowing nasal breathing. Results: The acrylic tubes effectively eliminated the patient's problem of snoring. Conclusions: This case study demonstrates that snoring associated with a pharyngeal flap can be controlled prosthetically by maintaining an opening through the two lateral ports, preventing the soft tissues of the walls of the lateral ports from vibrating against the flap.