Velopharyngeal insufficiency due to loss of part of uvula

[shadowskream]

My girlfriend went into the hospital about two weeks ago to have her tonsils and adenoids (adenoids) removed due to chances of sleep apneia. She has recently started to fully heal and eat solid food. TOday she noticed part of her uvula is (we believe) missing. We are not sure if it was removed during the surgery or what has happened. She has been complaining of water and other things going up her nose when she tries to drink, and she has a nasal speech. Theses, i learned today are symptoms of Velopharyngeal insufficiency.

My questions are as follows:

1) If the uvula is NOT missing, what is wrong with it?

2) Was the uvula removed on purpose during the operation? If so, why was no one told about this?

3) If the removal was unintentional, what went wrong, and why were we not notified?

4) IS her problem Velopharyngeal insufficiency? If not, what might it be?

5) Is there anything we can do to correct her speech? She is a singer, and is devistated by this.


Thank you for all of your help.