Repair of the bilateral cleft lip: a personal approach

The author presents his personal method of repairing a bilateral cleft lip, focusing on both the embryogenic factors of this condition and its anatomic-functional abnormalities. The surgical technique used enables correction in a single operation through suture of the lateral portions at the midline and elevation of the bifurcated flap of the prolabium to form the columella and the nasal floor. The deep psychological, social, and economic impact of the pathology is discussed, and the importance of a one-step surgical correction of the defect for the particular patient population at question is stressed.