Bilateral oblique facial cleft--tissue expansion with primary reconstruction

The oblique facial cleft may present as a cutaneous and/or an osseous cleft, with or without a cleft lip, and with or without a cleft palate. This particular case was born with complete bilateral cutaneous-osseous oblique facial clefts which extended from the oral cavity to the eye sockets with anophthalmia on the right side. The first surgical intervention included a midline nasal skeleton alignment and bilateral cleft lip and alveolus reconstruction. Urinary Foley catheters were used as facial tissue expanders and inserted adjacent to the oblique facial clefts. The second surgical procedure consisted of a partial pyramidal Le Fort II osteotomy for an inferiorly displaced nasal maxillary skeleton and a rotation and advancement of the cheek as a flap for reconstruction of the palpebral cleft and inner canthus.