Septoplasty During Primary Cleft Lip Reconstruction: A Historical Perspective and Scoping Review

Traditional surgical approaches excluded septoplasty at primary cleft lip reconstruction due to concerns about restricted nasal and midfacial growth. Modern opinion in the treatment of cleft lip has increasingly employed primary septoplasty; this scoping review and historical perspective aims to chronicle the evolution of septoplasty in patients born with cleft lip and palate and discuss current evidence.

The historical perspective explicitly contrasts American and European perceptions of septoplasty in cleft lip deformity and the competing anatomical theories of the role of the septum on midfacial and nasal growth. For the scoping review, articles were extracted from Embase, PubMed, and Medline, as well as manual searches of reference lists. Results were compiled, grouped, and appraised by date, outcomes, and historical significance. Inclusion criteria consisted of children who underwent primary septoplasty for any indication and were followed up on outcomes of facial growth and nasal function. Literature reviews, opinion articles, case reports, guidelines, or studies not available in English or online were excluded.

Evolving anatomical theories relating to midfacial growth in the mid-late 20th century underpinned a progressive ideological shift on the safety and efficacy of septoplasty in children. This is supported by our scoping review, which included 23 articles mutually selected for inclusion by 2 blinded assessors. Several competing methods have been employed to measure endpoints on facial growth and nasal function, but generally indicate primary septoplasty is successful in improving nasal function and preserving midfacial growth.

Perceptions towards septoplasty on facial growth in the pediatric population have transformed significantly and suggest a growing acceptance of primary septoplasty techniques in patients born with a cleft lip.