Millard repair of unilateral isolated cleft lip: a 25-year follow-up

Twenty-five patients with isolated unilateral cleft lip took part in a follow-up study at a mean age of 28.6 years. All had had a primary, Millard lip repair, at a mean age of 4.6 months. In 20 patients, at least one secondary correction had been undertaken during adolescence. The overall long-term outcome was thought to be good, leaving a fairly inconspicuous fine lip scar and acceptable nose configuration. In half the patients, however, the lip was slightly elongated and the nostrils were still asymmetrical. These findings concurred with the patients' subjective assessments, which showed that appearance of the lip and nose were rated good by 20 (80%) and 16 (64%), respectively. The findings of this study provide a baseline for future evaluation of the results achieved with lip closure by Johanson's technique.