Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair: Assessment of Outcome of Olokun-Olaitan Vermillion Flap Approach

This study aimed to assess the outcome of our novel free-hand approach. Numerous cleft lip repair techniques exist, all of which involve incisions on skin and excision of tissue. Unilateral cleft lip is the result of failure of migration of orofacial tissues in-utero. Cleft lip repair should ideally involve an approach that simulates nature by avoiding skin incision and tissue excision, as these are not known to occur in the normal natural sequence of events.Without incising skin or excising any tissue, vermillion flaps were raised exposing the muscular layer and edges of skin and mucosa. Similar tissue types were advanced and sutured across the cleft, replicating what should have occurred normally.All 28 patients (100%) treated using our technique had competent lips. Acceptable symmetry of the vermillion was achieved in 24 (85.7%) of the patients. Lip symmetry was judged to be acceptable in 22 (78.6%). Symmetry of the nose was acceptable in 18 (64.3%) of patients.The Olokun-Olaitan vermillion flap approach proved effective in the repair of unilateral cleft lip, as it compared very favorably with results obtained using Millard's technique.