Seven years' survey of our new cleft foot repair

The reconstruction of lobster-cleft foot is no longer considered from a functional point of view only. The aesthetic appearance of the repaired foot is now considered to be equally important. Since we reported the reconstruction of five toes in 1976, we have operated on 8 patients, totaling 16 cleft foot anomalies. We have followed-up these patients from 3 years to 7 years. As a result, we emphasize that this operative method is excellent in terms of both the function and the aesthetics, and the newly formed toes help to prevent pincer-like deformities. Since those deformities become more serious as a result of weight-bearing, we are convinced that this operation should be done before the patient is 1 year of age, preferably at about 8 months, before walking.