What is cleft lip and palate? What is glue ear? Patient stories Tests and procedures Consent

 

Palate videofluoroscopy is a moving x-ray picture that shows how the muscles in the mouth and throat are working during speech.

 

While the moving x-rays are taken, the Speech Therapist asks the patient to repeat phrases that demonstrate how well the palate functions.

 

The video below is Josie's videofluoroscopy:

 

At the start there is a reminder of the anatomy. The Speech Therapist asks Josie to repeat phrases that demonstrate how well Josie's palate functions. Notice that the palate does not touch the back wall of the throat/nasal space when it moves.

 

 

 

This next video is the pre-operative video of another patient. In it you can see that the palate fails to close the gap as the patient speaks, and there is a lot of "nasal escape" of air which leads to a poor quality of speech.

 

 

 

The final video shows the same patient after his operation. What the surgeon has done is in effect to put a bulge at the back of the throat so that the palate has something to close against. Although the sound has recorded at a lower level, so the background noise of the X-ray room is louder, you can hear how his speech quality has improved.

 

 

 

 

 

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