Pharyngeal Flap Versus Sphincter Pharyngoplasty for the Treatment of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: Preliminary Findings from a Systematic Review

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare surgical and speech outcomes of the posterior pharyngeal flap and sphincter pharyngoplasty following surgical management of velopharyngeal insufficiency in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses checklist and guidelines. Selected studies were chosen using a 3-step screening process. The 2 primary outcomes of interest were speech improvement and surgical complications. Preliminary findings based on included studies suggest a slightly higher rate of postoperative complications with the posterior pharyngeal flap in patients with 22q11.2DS but a lower percentage of patients needing additional surgery compared with the sphincter pharyngoplasty group. The most reported postoperative complication was obstructive sleep apnea. Results from this study provide some insight into speech and surgical outcomes following pharyngeal flap and sphincter pharyngoplasty in patients with 22q11.2DS. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to inconsistencies in speech methodology and lack of detail regarding surgical technique in the current literature. There is a significant need for standardization of speech assessments and outcomes to help optimize surgical management of velopharyngeal insufficiency in individuals with 22q11.2DS.