Primary unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and nose in an older population

A one-stage procedure to reconstruct complete and incomplete unilateral/bilateral cleft lip and nose deformities is presented. Emphasis was made on closure of the lip muscles, correction of the nostril floor, correction of the alveolar cleft as well as reconstruction of the nose through an intranasal approach, with a supported suture technique for nasal correction. No dental or orthodontic treatment was available or performed in this older population. Emphasis was on primary closure of the muscles, using the rotation advancement principle. The repair that was performed was near anatomical, reconstructing the labial sulcus, the nostril floor, the alveolar cleft and the nasal deformity all in one stage. There was a high level of satisfaction both from the patient's and surgeon's point of view.