A survey of assessment and management of velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) in the UK and Ireland.

A questionnaire designed to survey methods of assessment and management of velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) was circulated to all surgical members of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 45 questionnaires were distributed yielding 30 respondents (66.6% response rate). 27 respondents performed surgery for both cleft and non-cleft forms of VPI. Multi-planar videofluroscopy and nasendoscopy were the most frequently used methods of assessing and diagnosing VPI. The most frequently utilised corrective surgical procedure was palatal re-repair, followed by the Hynes pharyngoplasty and the Furlow double opposing z-plasty technique. Orticochea and Jackson pharyngoplasties were less commonly performed. Splitting the palate during pharyngoplasty procedures was an inconsistent practice. 20 palatal surgeons referred patients to an otolaryngology specialist when tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy was indicated prior to their corrective palatal procedure. This was most frequently performed 3 months prior to palatal surgery. This survey identified normal patient speech as the criterion of success after correctional surgery for VPI. Assessment and management of VPI in Great Britain and Ireland is a highly varied practice. When a palatal procedure is indicated, surgical approaches are tailored to address each individual's pattern of velopharyngeal closure deficiency. The surgeons surveyed reported this as being most accurately demonstrated by direct nasendoscopic visualisation and dynamic multi-planar videofluoroscopic studies.

Analysis of the increasing prevalence of necrotising fasciitis referrals to a regional plastic surgery unit: a retrospective case series.

Necrotising Fasciitis is a destructive infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Survival from the condition often necessitates patient referral for appropriate reconstructive surgery and supportive medical management. The aim of our study was to identify emerging patterns, characteristics and outcomes of necrotising fasciitis in Northern Ireland. A retrospective analysis of all patients referred to the Regional Plastic Surgery Service in Belfast between 2007 and 2012 was performed. Forty-six patients were identified with clinical, intraoperative and histopathological confirmation of necrotising fasciitis. Mean patient age was 59.4 years (range 32-88) with a 25:21 male to female ratio. 13 patients died from the disease. Smoking, obesity, diabetes and immunocompromise were the most prevalent co-morbidities identified. 37 patients had no identifiable mechanism of infection initiation in the history. Painful cellulitis (44/46), skin necrosis (26/46), skin blistering (8/46) and subcutaneous emphysema (3/46) were the most common presenting features. The median LRINEC score at presentation was 7 (range 2-12). The mean serum lactate at presentation was 4.0 mmol/L (range 1.6-13.5). LRINEC scores and serum lactate at presentation exhibited diagnostic sensitivities of 65% and 90% respectively. The lower extremity was the most commonly affected anatomical site (16/46). Group A Streptococcus was the most frequently isolated causative bacterium from debrided tissue cultures (16/46). The prevalence of necrotising fasciitis in the population studied is increasing, particularly in relation to patient cases caused by Group A Streptococcal infection. Increasing bacterial virulence and levels of patient immunocompromise may explain this increasing trend. The LRINEC scoring system lacked diagnostic sensitivity. Elevated serum lactate was supported as both a diagnostic and prognostic indicator. The findings of our study are somewhat limited in their application to other regions and highlight the need for a national analysis of necrotising fasciitis in the UK.