In 1973, Hogan first reported the lateral port control(L.P.C.) pharyngeal flap surgery, modification of the superiorly based posterior pharyngeal flap, introducing the concept of positive port control utilizing a "catheter technique".
This modification is superior to the classical posterior pharyngeal flap for speech improvement, but there have been some reports that complications occurred during the postoperative period. This method of operation has not been fully accepted by plastic surgeons throughout the world, even though it has many advantages for better speech improvement. So, there are still many un clarified clinical problems: what are the reasons for the occurrence of complications following -the surgery, how long the insertion of the catheter should be kept or how the complications can be reduced.
There are some recent interesting reports about the reduction of these complications to the same level as in the classical flap when operation is performed after a complete preoperative study including nasopharyngoscopy and lateral or basal cineradiography for an accurate evaluation of velopharyngeal function. The authors carried out this analysis based on a retrospective review of clinical recordings of 217 patients operated on during the past 5 years from 1977 to 1982 at St. Mary´s Hospital in Seoul. 142 patients out of the 217 underwent nasoendoscopy and lateral cineradiography study, and 87 patients of the 142 were subjected to complete speech
evaluation by the above examinations.
The study of complications was made on the 142 patients by two objective films, and the speech evaluation was conducted for the 87 patients by means of two objective films and a subjective examination. The patients were divided into three groups preoperatively according
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