Summary
Stress velopharyngeal incompetence (SVPI) is a special form of velopharyngeal incompetence
observed in musicians who play wind and brass instruments. Due to high intraoral pressures
generated while playing, the velopharyngeal structures fail to seal off the nasopharynx
properly, resulting in unwanted nasal air leakage or noises. We present two young
female professional clarinetists who experience symptoms of SVPI that preclude the
development of their professional career. Both musicians underwent an inferior based
pharyngeal flap, a well-known flap frequently used in cleft palate surgery. Both musicians
were symptom-free after surgery and remain free of nasal noises while playing the
clarinet after 2 and 4 years of follow-up. We present a review of literature of management
of SVPI and show that the inferior-based pharyngeal flap is a feasible option for
management of these potentially career ending symptoms.
Keywords
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References
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 04, 2012
Accepted:
November 25,
2011
Received:
November 6,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
