Follow-up of unilateral cleft-lip nose deformity after secondary repair with a modified reverse-U method

Emphasis of secondary repair for unilateral cleft-lip has been placed on correction of the cleft-lip nasal deformity by translocation of the alar cartilage with its attached vestibular lining into a normal position, thereby establishing the normal vault and shape of the cartilage. We have managed cleft-lip deformities employing a modified reverse-U method. We present our modified technique and the obtained results. Eighty-nine patients with unilateral cleft-lip nasal deformity underwent surgical repair between 1998 and 2007 by one surgeon. These patients were divided into two groups based on their previous operative histories. Group A comprised 52 patients who underwent primary cheiloplasty using a modified Tajima technique. No other surgery had been performed prior to our modified reverse-U method in these cases. Group B consisted of 37 patients receiving the primary operation and/or more than one rhinoplasty at another hospital before our method was employed. The ages of our patients at the time of the secondary operation ranged from 4 to 40 years (average, 8.1 years; 4.2 years in group A and 13.4 years in group B). The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 11 years (average 7.2 years). For objective evaluation, points on the nasal dome and alar crease were measured on patient photographs. The results were retrospectively distinguished to three levels by total point score: Excellent, Good and Fair. Excellent or Good results were obtained in 74 cases, while 15 had Fair results. Eighty-one percent of all cases maintained acceptable results without relapse. Fair results were attributed to an unclear alar crease or relapse. In conclusion, rigid fixation and release of nasal cartilage are very important. We believe our modified reverse-U method to be very useful for achieving symmetry of the unilateral cleft-lip nose in the long term.