Definitive repair of the unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity

The majority of patients with a unilateral cleft nasal deformity still benefit from additional nasal surgery in their teenage years, despite having undergone a primary nasal repair. However, the secondary nasal deformity of these patients stands in sharp contrast to those of children who have not benefited from primary repair. The authors' algorithm for the definitive correction of these secondary deformities considers the differences in these two patient groups and defines their indications for rib cartilage grafts and their method of using septal and ear cartilage in the repair. Balancing the muscle forces on the septum and alar cartilage is emphasized in both the primary and secondary repair. Both cartilage malposition and hypoplasia of the lower lateral cartilage complex have been identified as factors contributing to the deformity.